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A study published in the Menopause Journal found a link between one of the most common menopausal symptom to having heart disease and cardiovascular problems.

The research primarily studies the association of hot flashes- a quick feeling of heat and sometimes a red, flushed face and severe sweating- and cardiovascular disease in the endothelium- the layer of cells that are lined inside the body of the cells. The assessment of the endothelial function was a key factor in the study in predicting atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease that could lead to heart attack, heart failure, and even stroke, the Medical News Today  explains.

Throughout the U.S., 70 percent of women experience hot flashes saying that the occurrence of flashes is from frequent to severe.Contrary to the belief that these flashes appear in the perimenopausal period, the recent research states that they may begin to occur also during the late reproductive years, the WebMD notes.

The study had its findings tested with the examination of 272 women aged 40-60 years old who have been reported to having the early cases of hot flashes. Occurrence varies from daily to none at all. These women do not have any history of heart disease and also does not smoke.

Women have been monitored via ambulatory care and diary monitoring and the associations were calculated using linear regression models.

The authors found out that hot flashes were associated with endothelial dysfunction which is responsible for the tissue linings in the heart to women aged 40-53 years which suggests that younger women with hot flashes may be suffering from poor vascular function.

According to Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, the North American Menopause Society's Executive Director, the study is found to have been significant because hot flashes are not just a nuisance. Having this may be linked to bone, brain health, and cardiovascular problems.

The authors of the study conclude that hot flashes are linked to cardiovascular changes occurring early during the menopausal transition of a woman.