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Menopause, which is an inevitable and natural stage in a woman's life, comes with several painful symptoms. Although there are several therapy options for women going through menopause, the side effects of this process could potentially lead to damages in other areas of the body. In a new study, researchers linked hot flashes from menopause to memory. The study, composed of researchers from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, found that women who suffered more from hot flashes tended to have worse memory.

The researchers recruited 68 women, between the ages of 44 and 62 who were going through menopause. The women reported to having at least 35 hot flashes per week. In order to measure the participants' recall and attention, the women were given tests as well as questionnaires about their mood, memory and menopause symptoms. Based from the test results and the self-reports, the researchers concluded that women who had more hot flashes also performed the worse on the memory tests. On top of that, the women who suffered the worse hot flashes experienced longer periods of memory loss.

The findings confirmed previous studies that also concluded similar results. However, the findings do not suggest that repercussions are permanent, which is a good sign since menopause stops. Past studies found that obesity, smoke or overconsumption of alcohol could all increase the chances of having the painful symptoms of menopause. If women want to try to avoid these symptoms, which are also greatly influenced by estrogen and progesterone sensitivity, they should avoid those unhealthy habits.

The study was published in Menopause.