Gloria Bonaccorsi1, Arianna Romani2, Eleonora Cremonini2, Carlo M Bergamini2, Maria Cristina Castaldini3, Enrica Fila1, Stefania Hanau2, Leo Massari4, Carlo Cervellati5. 1. Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. 2. Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. 3. Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. 4. Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. 5. Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: crvcrl@unife.it.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: At present, there is growing demand for alternative, or additional, treatments to hormone replacement therapy for menopause-related hot flashes (HF). Antioxidant supplements have been recently proposed as possible candidates for this purpose, regardless of the absence of clear evidence in support of a link between these vasomotor symptoms and oxidative stress (OxS). The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between HF and OxS serum markers in a large sample of middle-aged women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 245 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women (age 45-60 years). The variables examined were presence of self-reported HF and levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, 8-OH-deoxy-2'-guanosine, advanced oxidation protein products, total antioxidant power, uric acid, thiols, and paroxonase-1. RESULTS: Seventy-six women (31%) reported to suffer from HF (either medium or high intensity). None of the peripheral markers of OxS examined was found to be significantly associated with the presence of HF. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data suggest that systemic OxS might not be implicated with the onset of the climacteric vasomotor symptoms that most commonly affect women experiencing perimenopause and early postmenopause.
OBJECTIVE: At present, there is growing demand for alternative, or additional, treatments to hormone replacement therapy for menopause-related hot flashes (HF). Antioxidant supplements have been recently proposed as possible candidates for this purpose, regardless of the absence of clear evidence in support of a link between these vasomotor symptoms and oxidative stress (OxS). The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between HF and OxS serum markers in a large sample of middle-aged women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 245 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women (age 45-60 years). The variables examined were presence of self-reported HF and levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, 8-OH-deoxy-2'-guanosine, advanced oxidation protein products, total antioxidant power, uric acid, thiols, and paroxonase-1. RESULTS: Seventy-six women (31%) reported to suffer from HF (either medium or high intensity). None of the peripheral markers of OxS examined was found to be significantly associated with the presence of HF. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data suggest that systemic OxS might not be implicated with the onset of the climacteric vasomotor symptoms that most commonly affect women experiencing perimenopause and early postmenopause.