Hot flashes: Why?

Hot flashes (HF), transitory episodes of erythema, heat sensation, anxiety followed by chills, are described in carcinoid syndrome, mastocytosis, medullary thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, alcohol consumption, side effects of drugs, and infections. They are pivotal among menopause-...

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Main Authors: Florica Sandru, Mihai Cristian Dumitrascu, Eugenia Petrova, Anda Dumitrascu, Claudiu Tupea, Mara Carsote, Adina Ghemigian, Ana Valea
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Amaltea Medical Publishing House 2021-03-01
Series:Romanian Medical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://rmj.com.ro/articles/2021.1/RMJ_2021_1_Art-01.pdf
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author Florica Sandru
Mihai Cristian Dumitrascu
Eugenia Petrova
Anda Dumitrascu
Claudiu Tupea
Mara Carsote
Adina Ghemigian
Ana Valea
author_facet Florica Sandru
Mihai Cristian Dumitrascu
Eugenia Petrova
Anda Dumitrascu
Claudiu Tupea
Mara Carsote
Adina Ghemigian
Ana Valea
author_sort Florica Sandru
collection DOAJ
description Hot flashes (HF), transitory episodes of erythema, heat sensation, anxiety followed by chills, are described in carcinoid syndrome, mastocytosis, medullary thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, alcohol consumption, side effects of drugs, and infections. They are pivotal among menopause-related vasomotor symptoms beside genitourinary syndrome in addition to sleep disturbances (40-60% of females), and metabolic changes. HF affect 70% of women (20% of them have a severe impairment of life quality); they last for 4-7 years, starting 4-6 years before last menstruation. The main HF cause is ovarian-derivate estrogen deprivation which activates complex endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms involving noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT), calcitonin gen-related peptide, orexin, kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and epigenetic elements like modulation of tachykinin receptor 3, accelerated epigenetic aging (as found in Women's Health Initiative Observational Study), expression of central serotonin transporters. Estrogen deficiency uncouples the negative feedback with preoptic area of hypothalamus, responsible for thermoregulation by inducing an exacerbated vasodilatory response to a small increase of body temperature. TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) in preoptic hypothalamic area may play a role by NE-α2ADR (norepinephrine-activated α2-adrenergic receptors) activation. Higher expression of serotonin transporter SLC6A4 causes a lack of 5-HT at synapsis which is a trigger for presynaptic 5-HT receptor feedback, thus a release of serotonin amount prevents hot flashes. Kisspeptin and neurokinin B which are co-expressed in infundibular nucleus of hypothalamus are involved in central thermoregulation and gonadotropin releasing hormone anomalies. The NKR3 (neurokinin 3 receptor) antagonist receptor improves HF. Understanding the pivotal role of central neurotransmitters in hot flashes is the basis of new therapeutically researches because otherwise estrogen replacement has a long list of side effects, and it is contraindicated in breast cancer-related hypogonadism.
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spelling doaj.art-79f28e535d294c03a7eb9353d50e4ce12024-02-02T17:58:48ZengAmaltea Medical Publishing HouseRomanian Medical Journal1220-54782069-606X2021-03-016815910.37897/RMJ.2021.1.1Hot flashes: Why?Florica Sandru0Mihai Cristian Dumitrascu1Eugenia Petrova2Anda Dumitrascu3Claudiu Tupea4Mara Carsote5Adina Ghemigian6Ana Valea7Carol Davila“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; Elias Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania“Carol Davila“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania“Carol Davila“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; “C.I. Parhon“ National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania“C.I. Parhon“ National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania“C.I. Parhon“ National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania“Carol Davila“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; “C.I. Parhon“ National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania“Carol Davila“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; “C.I. Parhon“ National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania“Iuliu Hatieganu“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Clinical County Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaHot flashes (HF), transitory episodes of erythema, heat sensation, anxiety followed by chills, are described in carcinoid syndrome, mastocytosis, medullary thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, alcohol consumption, side effects of drugs, and infections. They are pivotal among menopause-related vasomotor symptoms beside genitourinary syndrome in addition to sleep disturbances (40-60% of females), and metabolic changes. HF affect 70% of women (20% of them have a severe impairment of life quality); they last for 4-7 years, starting 4-6 years before last menstruation. The main HF cause is ovarian-derivate estrogen deprivation which activates complex endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms involving noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT), calcitonin gen-related peptide, orexin, kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and epigenetic elements like modulation of tachykinin receptor 3, accelerated epigenetic aging (as found in Women's Health Initiative Observational Study), expression of central serotonin transporters. Estrogen deficiency uncouples the negative feedback with preoptic area of hypothalamus, responsible for thermoregulation by inducing an exacerbated vasodilatory response to a small increase of body temperature. TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) in preoptic hypothalamic area may play a role by NE-α2ADR (norepinephrine-activated α2-adrenergic receptors) activation. Higher expression of serotonin transporter SLC6A4 causes a lack of 5-HT at synapsis which is a trigger for presynaptic 5-HT receptor feedback, thus a release of serotonin amount prevents hot flashes. Kisspeptin and neurokinin B which are co-expressed in infundibular nucleus of hypothalamus are involved in central thermoregulation and gonadotropin releasing hormone anomalies. The NKR3 (neurokinin 3 receptor) antagonist receptor improves HF. Understanding the pivotal role of central neurotransmitters in hot flashes is the basis of new therapeutically researches because otherwise estrogen replacement has a long list of side effects, and it is contraindicated in breast cancer-related hypogonadism.https://rmj.com.ro/articles/2021.1/RMJ_2021_1_Art-01.pdfhot flashsweatmenopauseclimacteric syndromevasomotor symptomsestrogenssleepmetabolic syndromeserotoninhypothalamusthermoregulationneurokinin bnorepinephrine
spellingShingle Florica Sandru
Mihai Cristian Dumitrascu
Eugenia Petrova
Anda Dumitrascu
Claudiu Tupea
Mara Carsote
Adina Ghemigian
Ana Valea
Hot flashes: Why?
Romanian Medical Journal
hot flash
sweat
menopause
climacteric syndrome
vasomotor symptoms
estrogens
sleep
metabolic syndrome
serotonin
hypothalamus
thermoregulation
neurokinin b
norepinephrine
title Hot flashes: Why?
title_full Hot flashes: Why?
title_fullStr Hot flashes: Why?
title_full_unstemmed Hot flashes: Why?
title_short Hot flashes: Why?
title_sort hot flashes why
topic hot flash
sweat
menopause
climacteric syndrome
vasomotor symptoms
estrogens
sleep
metabolic syndrome
serotonin
hypothalamus
thermoregulation
neurokinin b
norepinephrine
url https://rmj.com.ro/articles/2021.1/RMJ_2021_1_Art-01.pdf
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AT andadumitrascu hotflasheswhy
AT claudiutupea hotflasheswhy
AT maracarsote hotflasheswhy
AT adinaghemigian hotflasheswhy
AT anavalea hotflasheswhy