Researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles reviewed data from 23,573 women, ages 50-79, who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trial.

 

Participants were asked about their menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, during the initial visit. They were then monitored for fractures for eight years afterward.

 

The analysis found women who reported having moderate or severe hot flashes when they entered the study were more likely to fracture a hip during the follow-up period than women who had no menopausal symptoms.

 

During menopause, the body tends to breaks down old bone tissue faster than it can be replaced. Therefore, postmenopausal women face a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become structurally weak and more likely to break.

Many middle-age women take prescriptions drugs, vitamin D, and/or calcium supplements to strengthen their bones.

 

This research, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, is the first of its type to examine the relationship between menopausal symptoms and bone health in menopausal women.