Do menopausal hot flashes have any significant effects on arterial blood gas measurements?

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of menopausal hot flashes on arterial blood gas measurements.

Methods: Twelve postmenopausal women with frequent hot flashes were enrolled in this study. Blood samples from femoral artery were collected before and during menopausal hot flashes in each subject, and all blood samples were analyzed for pH, pCO2, pO2, HCO3 standard, total CO2, and base excess. Arterial blood gas parameters before and during menopausal hot flashes were compared statistically.

Results: pH measurements decreased significantly during hot flashes (P < 0.05); although the difference was found to be statistically significant, the amount of decrease and the range in which the change took place led us to conclude that this change was clinically insignificant. Other parameters did not show any statistically significant differences between the preflash and flash measurements.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that menopausal hot flashes do not have any clinically significant effects on arterial blood gas measurements.