A gene has been identified that may have be responsible for hot flashes typically experienced during menopause. The identified gene may help explain why some women experience hot flashes – because they are genetically predisposed to.
The researchers uncovered gene variants that affect a brain receptor controlling the release of estrogen – and increase the risk of a woman experiencing hot flashes.
Advertisement
Principal investigator Dr. Carolyn Crandall said, “No previous studies have focused on how variants in women’s genes may be linked with hot flashes, and these results were highly statistically significant. These associations were similar across European-American, African-American, and Hispanic-American women, and they persisted even after we accounted for other factors that might influence hot flashes.”
The researchers studied an entire human genome to identify links between gene variations and hot flashes. Genetic information was collected from 17,695 postmenopausal women, taking into account their experiences of hot flashes or night sweats.
The researchers looked at over 11 million gene variants and found 14 that are associated with hot flashes. These variants are mainly located in chromosome 4 which encodes specific brain receptor – tachykinin receptor 3 – that interacts with nerve fibers involved in estrogen release.
The researchers suggest that their findings may help uncover more effective treatments for hot flashes, but further research is required to better understand how the gene variants affect hot flashes.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
