Hot flushes linked to lower heart attack risk

Hot flushes and night sweats which plague millions of women going through the menopause may be a positive sign. Women who suffer them at the start are at lower risk of heart attacks and strokes, a study has shown.

Hot flushes occur suddenly and produce an uncomfortable feeling of intense heat.

American scientists who reviewed the records of 60,000 females enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative said they could not explain the findings, published in the journal Menopause.

But they were significant because there has been concern that menopausal symptoms, which result from instability in blood vessels in the skin, may put women at risk for other types of vascular problems as well.

"Hot flashes will never be enjoyable, but perhaps these findings will make them more tolerable," said Emily Szmuilowicz, from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, who led the study.