Hot Flashes in Women: Quitting Smoking Reduces Symptom of Menopause

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In 2014, a study revealed that African-American women experienced menopause misery for an average of 10 years, compared to their Japanese and Chinese counterparts. The research was done by a group from Nancy Avis of Wake Forest University, who found that "compared with women of other racial/ethnic groups, African American women reported the longest total vasomotor symptom duration," NBC News reports.

On top of this risk comes the fact that smoking can cause earlier signs of menopause, as revealed by the research study published in the online journal Menopause, the Huffington Post reports.

More recently, researchers from University of Illinois uncovered that female smokers who stop smoking have 45% less risk of experiencing severe and frequent hot flashes compared to their non-smoking counterparts. This lowered risk is even more evident for women who stopped smoking for five or more years. The research studied 761 women ages 45 to 56 years old, 347 of which were already experiencing hot flashes. The follow-up period for the study was 7 years.

The Daily Times Gazette reports that the research shows "about 60% of current smokers and 50% of former smokers experience mild to severe hot flashes, while the rate is only about 37% for those who never smoked."

Study lead Rebecca Smith from the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Illinois told Reuters Health: "While the effect was strongest if women quit at least five years before the onset of menopause, even women quitting later did have a better outcome than women who continued to smoke. I hope that this encourages women to quit smoking, the earlier the better."

During menopause, a woman's hormone levels decline. For smokers, estrogen levels are even lower, putting them at risk for thinning hair, urinary tract infections, memory problems and changes in cholesterol levels, according to the Huffington Post. Hormone fluctuations also contribute to weight gain, especially if one is a smoker.

The National Institute of Aging strongly advises women to avoid smoking altogether to avoid health problems related to tobacco consumption, including cancer, heart disease, and even reproductive health issues. Smoking makes it more difficult for women to conceive, and pregnant women who smoke are at risk for miscarriage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, smoking during pregnancy may cause faulty placenta, early birth and low birth weight for babies.

Regardless of a woman's age, the authors recommend that quitting smoking is a step towards better health. "This study has demonstrated the benefit to be gained from quitting smoking with regards to menopausal symptoms. These results may be of use to health providers in encouraging women to quit smoking," the researchers said.