Intensive Program Cuts Hot Flashes Along with Weight

Women with high body-mass index (BMI) experience more-frequent or severe menopausal hot flashes than do women with normal BMI (JW Womens Health Feb 21 2008). Could weight reduction serve as a treatment for such women? In a substudy of the Program to Reduce Incontinence by Diet and Exercise (PRIDE), investigators examined the effects of an intensive weight-loss intervention on hot flashes.

Of 338 PRIDE participants (mean age, 53; >70% white), 154 reported bothersome hot flashes at baseline. Ninety-nine participants were randomized to an intensive weight-loss intervention (weekly expert-led sessions to encourage specific physical activities and dietary modification), and 55 were randomized to structured education (control group; monthly sessio…