Women With HIV May Suffer More From Hot Flashes
THURSDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- As women infected with HIV live longer, new evidence is suggesting that menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes may affect them worse than women who don't carry the virus. "Perimenopausal HIV-infected women experience greater hot flash severity and greater hot flash-related interference with daily activities and quality of life," compared to non-infected women going through menopause, report researchers led by Sara Looby of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Excessive menopausal symptoms might even compromise the health of HIV-positive women, including their ability to adhere to drug therapy and abstain from drugs and alcohol, the team said. Looby and her coleagues urged doctors who care for middle-aged HIV-infected women to evaluate their hot flashes and offer effective treatment. For the study, the researchers surveyed 33 HIV-infected women, aged 45-48, with irregular menstrual cycles (perimenopause) and compared their respo...