What’s New in Hot flushes

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    Does Risk for Anxiety Increase During the Menopausal Transition?

    3,000 women were followed for 10 years to ask a simple question: does the menopausal transition itself increase the risk of significant anxiety symptoms? What was done Participants were 42–52 years old at the start, pre‑…

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    Anxiety as a risk factor for menopausal hot flashes

    This long-term study followed 233 women from before menopause to after their final period to see how different types of anxiety relate to hot flushes. Anxiety was split into two parts: somatic anxiety (physical tension symptoms such…

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    Association of menopausal vasomotor symptoms with increased bone turnover during the menopausal transition

    The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal association between menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and urinary N-telopeptide level (NTX) according to menopausal stage. We conclude that among early perimenopausal and late perimenopausal women, those…

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    Presence of vasomotor symptoms is associated with lower bone mineral density

    Objective: To determine whether women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS) have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than women without VMS. Design We analyzed data from baseline to annual follow-up visit 5 for 2213 participants in the…

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    How does menopause affect the brain?

    In post-menopausal women, the earliest change in the brain appears to be a fall in the amount of glucose used by the brain, indicating reduced brain activity. This is due to falling estrogen levels, this…

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    Could hot flashes be an indicator of Alzheimer disease?

    Hot flashes during sleep may be an early marker of a woman’s risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD), according to the results of a study presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Menopause Society…

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    Menopause and cognitive impairment: A narrative review of current knowledge

    A severe impairment of cognitive function characterizes dementia. Mild cognitive impairment represents a transition between normal cognition and dementia. The frequency of cognitive changes is higher in women than in men. Based on this fact,…

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    Menopausal hot flash frequency changes in response to experimental manipulation of blood glucose

    An experimental study was conducted in 10 postmenopausal women taking hormone therapy (HT) between the ages of 38 and 55. Following a clinic visit to screen for general health and absence of diabetes, HT participants…

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    Perimenopause as a neurological transition state

    Estrogen-mediated regulation of the bioenergetic system: estrogen signalling supports and sustains glucose metabolism in the brain by regulating expression of glucose transporters, which results in increased glucose uptake, and by stimulating glucose metabolism, mitochondrial oxidative…

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    Meet the Super Flasher: some menopausal women suffer years of hot flashes

    What kind of hot flasher are you? The hot flash — that sudden feeling of warmth that can leave a woman flushed and drenched in sweat — has long been considered the defining symptom of…

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    Weight-training may help reduce hot flashes

    Postmenopausal women can fight off hot flashes and night sweats by pumping iron, a new clinical trial shows. “Resistance training is already recommended for all women always, but now we can see it may be…

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    Study suggests hot flashes could be precursor to diabetes

    Hot flashes, undoubtedly the most common symptom of menopause, are not just uncomfortable and inconvenient, but numerous studies demonstrate they may increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease. A new study suggests…

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    Moderate-severe hot flashes significantly increase depression risk

    A new study of more than 2,000 perimenopausal and menopausal women showed that moderate-severe vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes or night sweats) were an independent and significant risk factor for moderate-severe depression. Researchers explored the controversial…

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    How Omega-3 can provide relief for menopausal symptoms

    The therapeutic benefits of omega-3 fatty acids – which are abundant in certain fish oils – have long been known. In the 1950s, upon the discovery that omega-3 improves brain development, cod liver oil was…

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    Hot flushes? Losing weight may help

    Overweight women who experience hot flashes—the uncomfortable flushing and sweating spells that accompany menopause—may be able to cool those symptoms by losing weight, a new study suggests. “If you’re a woman who is overweight or obese, you…

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  • I now understand and can control the flushes! And on top of this I have shifted 16lbs and feel better than ever.

  • I couldn’t believe how Sandra resolved my vaginal dryness so quickly and easily.

  • Menopausal symptoms can be resolved, there are many roads. I am eternally grateful as now I know how to take care of my health.

  • I have lost 2 stone, and haven’t had a migraine for 11 weeks! That has not happened since I was 15.

  • Sandra provided a detailed health review, testing and a healthy eating guide. I found it inspiring to work with her, I felt better almost within a week and 4 weeks later all my symptoms almost gone!

  • I’d recommend it to any woman – not as a diet, but as a way of rethinking how your body works, and how to fuel it properly.

  • Within just a week I was feeling much healthier, clearer headed, and energised.

  • I was amazed at how quickly my weight started dropping and soon my migraines all but disappeared.

book a discovery call

The deficiency is not in you. It’s in the medical model.

Mainstream medicine is still working with a 1950s framework — one that treats oestrogen deficiency as the root cause of everything you’re feeling, which is why HRT makes sense for them. But there is one powerful dissenting voice.

Dr Nanette Santoro is a menopause scientist elected to the US National Academy of Medicine and chair at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. As lead investigator on the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), she has followed more than 3,000 women aged 42–54 since the mid-1990s to understand the menopause transition and its consequences on women’s health. She has concluded that:

“

Women need a sophisticated understanding of the root cause of symptoms and health risks – otherwise they will forever be stuck with an oversimplified model that blames low oestrogen for everything.

—Dr Nanette Santoro, lead investigator SWAN

In the last decade, the science of menopause has moved significantly. We now understand that symptoms are driven by far more than oestrogen decline — by metabolic shifts, nervous system load, inflammation, and the conditions in which this transition has to happen. Dr Santoro is clear: symptoms cluster together — hot flushes, brain fog, low mood, and broken sleep don’t arrive randomly. They share root causes. Which means they can be addressed at the root. My practice is built on that research.

If you’ve been told your symptoms are just low oestrogen — or that HRT is your only option — there is another way. It doesn’t matter where you are with HRT. The work is the same: your biology, your root causes, your protocol.

The discovery call is free, 30 minutes, and no obligation. Let’s have that conversation.

From my Substack

I write regularly about menopause, symptoms, biology, and the wider story women are so often not told. Some of the articles will be part of my book. If you want to go deeper into the thinking behind my work, you can start here.

Book a discovery call and in 30 minutes you can:

  • Understand the root causes behind your specific symptoms
  • Learn whether functional medicine is right for your situation
  • Get a clear picture of what testing and treatment could look like
  • Ask any questions — no commitment, no pressure
  • Leave with actionable clarity, regardless of next steps
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As featured in

Sandra Ishkanes  Natural Menopause Specialist based in Brighton, serving clients worldwide via Online Consultations   
BSc Molecular Biology (King’s College London) | DipION | Functional Medicine Practitioner
Registered member, Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP) – the UK professional body for accredited naturopathic and functional medicine practitioners. ANP members hold accredited qualifications, carry professional indemnity insurance, and follow a strict code of ethics.

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The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Sandra Ishkanes is a Functional Medicine Practitioner and Molecular Biologist, not a medical doctor. Always seek the advice of your GP or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before making any changes to your diet, lifestyle, or supplement regimen—especially if you are currently taking prescription medication or HRT. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.