Coffee Might Worsen Hot Flashes

A new study suggests that caffeine might worsen hot flashes and night sweat in menopausal women.

The study also found that women transitioning into menopause - the perimenopausal women - reacted differently to caffeine. Caffeine improved mood, memory and concentration in these women.

The study was based on data from a survey that used Menopause Health Questionnaire. Researchers used responses of 1,806 women who met all inclusion criteria of the study. The team then compared menopausal rating on women who used caffiene and those who didn't.

Researchers found that caffeine increased severity of hot flashes. "While these findings are preliminary, our study suggests that limiting caffeine intake may be useful for those postmenopausal women who have bothersome hot flashes and night sweats," said Stephanie Faubion, M.D., director of the Women's Health Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, according to a news release. "Menopause symptoms can be challenging but there are many management strategies to try."

Around 85 percent of people in the U.S use some form of caffeine. The compound is not only present in coffee, but also in medications, beverages and chocolates.

Hot flashes or vasomotor symptoms occur in about 79 percent of perimenopausal women and 65 percent of postmenopausal women. This is the first study that shows that the popular stimulant is both positively and negatively linked to menopausal symptoms in women.

So, what can women do to ease hot flashes?

Researchers say that some of the following strategies might help:

• Eat healthy and maintain physical fitness.
• Be aware of certain foods that can trigger hot flashes
• Try stress management techniques such as yoga or Tai chi
• Limit intake of alcohol and tobacco.
• Non-hormonal prescription medications can help lower severity of hot flashes, talk to your healthcare provider about these drugs.

Previous research has shown that women who have more fat in their bodyare at an increased risk of hot flashes.

The present study is published in the journal Menopause.