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, researchers report. 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. Lead author
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 responses with
those of perimenopausal women without HIV. The women with
HIV typically experienced moderate hot flashes while the
women without HIV mild hot flashes. The HIV-infected women
also had more sleep problems, more depressed moods,
irritability and anxiety. Hot flashes also interfered more
with HIV-infected women's work, social and leisure
activities, concentration, relationships with others,
sexuality, enjoyment of life and overall quality of life. In
fact, the harmful effect of hot flashes among women with HIV
was greater than what has been reported for breast cancer
survivors, according to the study. It's not clear why hot
flashes are worse in HIV-infected women and further research
is needed to learn the answers, the study authors said.
|