Hot flushes and night sweats symptom profiles over a 17-year period in mid-aged women: The role of hysterectomy with ovarian conservation

Abstract

Objectives: There is limited research on hot flushes and night sweats in women with a hysterectomy with ovarian conservation. We aimed to describe the patterns of these symptoms in a cohort of Australian women and to investigate the relationship between distinct symptom patterns and hysterectomy status.

Study design and outcome measures: Repeated-measures latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify hot flushes and night sweats symptom patterns across seven surveys (over 17 years) in the mid-cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the associations of the symptom patterns in women with a hysterectomy with ovarian conservation (n=1129) versus women without a hysterectomy (n=4977).

Results: A higher proportion of women with a hysterectomy than of those without experienced a constant pattern of hot flushes (15% versus 30%) and night sweats (9% versus 19%). Women with a hysterectomy had higher odds of constant hot flushes versus minimal hot flushes (OR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.64, 2.35) and constant versus minimal night sweats (OR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.70, 2.55). Smoking, a 'lower level of education to non-professional occupation' pathway and body mass index (BMI) patterns of 'always obese' and 'increasingly obese' were also associated with a higher risk of constant symptoms.

Conclusions: Women who have a hysterectomy (with ovarian conservation) have a higher risk of hot flushes and night sweats that persist over an extended period.

Keywords: Body mass index; Hot flashes; Hysterectomy; Menopause; Night sweats; Smoking.