THE ESSENTIAL
- Menopause usually occurs around the age of 50.
- The notion of hot flash refers to a sudden sensation of heat, which can appear on the face, in the neck or on the chest.
- The treatment may also help treat hot flashes unrelated to menopause.
20 to 25% of postmenopausal women complain of problems affecting their quality of life, according to theInserm. Hot flashes are a common symptom. The main way to treat them is to take hormonal treatment, but this can cause side effects. the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians cites in particular the increased risk of thromboembolic and vascular accidents and cancer be you. A discovery, relayed by National Geographiccould make it possible to develop new treatments, without hormones.
A group of neurons that cause hot flashes
“We’ve always said that hot flashes happen because of hypothalamus dysfunction, which is true, says Nanette Santoro, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in an article in the English version of the National Geographic. But now we understand why it’s happening.”
In the brain postmenopausal women, a group of neurons swells. Previous studies have identified three signaling proteins made by these neurons: kisspeptin and neurokinin B and dynorphin. They have been renamed KNDy. Naomi Rance, a pioneer in hot flash research, says animal testing has found that the KNDy group is involved in temperature regulation. “Neurons send axons to regions of the hypothalamus that control body temperature.”she explains to National Geographic. KNDys are very sensitive to estrogenso when their level decreases with menopause, their activity increases.
Hot flash: a drug soon to be authorized by the FDA?
In recent years, different companies have tested drugs that can block the receptors of KNDy neurons. “A phase 2 clinical trial showed that for women experiencing seven or more hot flashes a day, taking a daily oral medication (fezolinetant, which blocks the neurokinin receptor) reduced the number of hot flashes by 45%. weekly hot flashes“, developed National Geographic.
The last phase 3 trial, carried out on 1,000 women, confirmed the reduction of hot flashes thanks to the drug : on average, women suffer two or even four months each day, compared to those who took a placebo. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration, the organization in charge of evaluating the safety of drugs, is already working on this treatment. If it approves its use against hot flashesit could be available as soon as 2023, as a non-hormonal alternative to current menopause treatments.
Improving the quality of life of postmenopausal women
This new treatment could change the daily lives of menopausal women, who experience hot flashes. “They occur especially at night and disturb sleep, indicates theHealth Insurance. They also appear during the day: they are then favored by ambient heat, eating a meal, alcohol, exercise and emotion.. ” If the phenomenon disappears in a few months, for some women, hot flashes can manifest themselves for several years.