We joke about hot flashes, but what if they’re telling us something much more serious?
According to Dr. Heather Hirsch on The Tamsen Show, hot flashes aren’t just annoying, they may signal changes in cardiovascular health.
"Women with long-term, untreated hot flashes actually have higher rates of heart disease,” she said, pointing to the role of estrogen in supporting healthy blood vessels. As estrogen declines, the body has a harder time regulating temperature and the heart can feel the effects.
In fact, the American Heart Association named menopause an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in 2020, a milestone many missed due to the pandemic.
So what’s happening inside your body? “Your vessels constrict and dilate rapidly. Over time, that can impact vascular function,” Dr. Hirsch explained. Foods like spicy dishes and drinks like coffee and alcohol can worsen symptoms. But the real issue is the hormone shift.
Hormone therapy, when started within 10 years of your last period, can help maintain vascular health by supporting nitric oxide production, which keeps arteries flexible.
Dr. Hirsch also flagged “silent symptoms” of menopause, like bone loss and brain changes, that don’t show up until it’s too late. “You can’t feel your bones thinning or your arteries clogging,” she warned.
Her advice? Don’t wait. If you're having hot flashes or just feel off, it's time to seek answers.
For the full conversation on hot flashes, hormones, and heart health, listen to the full episode of The Tamsen Show.
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