Fourteen dozen common gene variants that appear to have robust links to menopausal hot flashes have been discovered by researchers at the University of California – Los Angeles. These gene variants affect a receptor (tachykinin receptor 3) in the brain that controls the release of estrogen and is present in women of all ethnicities. Women’s Health Initiative data (11 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, as well as patients’ reports about hot flashes and night sweats) from 17,695 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years were examined. Women with these variants were more likely than those without them to have hot flashes, and the genetic links persisted after other factors influencing hot flashes were accounted for.
