Signs of Early Menopause and Symptoms: Study Finds Hispanic Women Experience Hot Flashes Longer Than White Women

Hispanic and African American women suffer from hot flashes much longer compared to non-Hispanic white and Asian women, according to a new research study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study made headlines when it revealed on Monday women can experience hot flashes for as long as 14 years, prior to and during menopause. The length of hot flashes, the study and The New York Times revealed, is connected to race and ethnicity of women.

Hot flashes can affect up to 80 percent of middle-aged women. They can hit a woman at day or night, covering them in sweat and flushing their face. They're linked to a drop in estrogen and are regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain.

African-Americans reported the longest-lasting symptoms with hot flashes lasting for up to 10.1 years. That is twice the median duration of Asian women's symptoms. The median for Hispanic women was 8.9 years. Non-Hispanic whites experienced a length of symptoms for up to 6.5 years.

The study analyzed a diverse group of 1,449 women with frequent hot flashes occurring at least six days in two weeks from 1996 to 2013.

The median length of time that women experienced menopause symptoms was up to 7.4 years. Half the women experienced hot flashes for less time than the 7.4 years. The other half had symptoms for longer, some up to 14 years.

The results also showed that those who had hot flashes earlier would experience menopause and hot flashes longer. Researchers also found a correlation between women with longer-lasting symptoms and their lack of education, higher stress levels, more depression and anxiety.

Doctors aren't sure why there is a difference between ethnicities. They believe it could be due to genetics, diet, reproductive factors or how many children women have.

The research study included a diverse pool of women. One-third of them were African-Americans in Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago and Ypsilanti, Michigan. It also included women of Japanese descent in Los Angeles; women of Chinese descent in Oakland, California; and Hispanic women in Newark with about 100 in each group.