Hot Flashes and Neurovascular Function in Women

项目摘要/摘要 与更年期相关的血管运动症状(潮热)包括快速和剧烈的出汗， 外周血管扩张，以及夸张的内热感。超过70%的女性体验过火辣 在更年期的某个时间点会闪光，这会对日常生活产生重大影响。此外，潮热 频率与高血压、心血管疾病(CVD)、睡眠和情绪风险增加有关 疾病--即使在控制了传统的心血管疾病危险因素(肥胖、高血压、 脂类等)。因此，这项应用的总体目标是确定患者的自主神经血管功能 有或没有血管舒缩症状(潮热)的中年妇女。出于本申请的目的，我们将 将神经血管功能定义为一个包含交感神经流出、血液反应的概念 交感神经释放的神经递质的血管和血管的固有特性 血管内皮细胞和平滑肌。因此，它与组织血流量的调节有关。在这方面， 神经血管功能对女性的健康和衰老至关重要。目标1将比较微血管 客观评估有低、高频潮热的女性的功能。目标2将决定 客观评估低频和高频潮热的妇女的自主神经功能和反应性。 最后，目标3将描述女性脑血管功能的客观评估低和高 频繁潮热。重要的是，这项工作将提供第一个全面和机械性的评估 中年妇女包括绝经期妇女的自主神经和神经血管功能。 了解女性神经血管生理学与潮热的关系将有助于高血压和 心血管疾病(CVD)的治疗和预防选择，因为潮热的出现是心血管疾病的风险 除了传统的心血管疾病危险因素外，这一因素很可能是女性心血管疾病的重要决定因素 健康。因此，申请者的长期目标是开发干预措施，以减少 女性潮热中的心血管疾病。拟议的研究将建立在申请人以前的研究基础上 培训和指导团队、关于运行临床试验的正式课程工作以及技术培训计划将 提供在新领域获得更多知识的机会，并学习新的实验技术和 接近了。最后，这项工作将产生一个调查利基，这将补充申请人的 智力和技术技能将有助于她开始独立的职业生涯。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) associated with menopause consist of rapid and intense sweating, peripheral vasodilation, and an exaggerated feeling of internal heat. Over 70% of women experience hot flashes at some point during menopause, which significantly impacts day to day life. Furthermore, hot flash frequency is related to increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), sleep, and mood disorders--even when controlling for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors (obesity, hypertension, lipids, etc.). As such, the overall goal of this application is to determine autonomic neurovascular function in midlife women with and without vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes). For the purposes of this application we will define neurovascular function as a concept that encompasses sympathetic outflow, the responses of blood vessels to neurotransmitters released by the sympathetic nerves and the intrinsic properties of the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle. It is thus related to the regulation of tissue blood flow. In this context, neurovascular function is critically important to women’s health and aging. Aim 1 will compare microvascular function in women with objectively assessed low and high frequency hot flashes. Aim 2 will determine autonomic function and reactivity in women with objectively assessed low and high frequency hot flashes. Finally, Aim 3 will characterize cerebrovascular function in women with objectively assessed low and high frequency hot flashes. Importantly, this work will provide the first comprehensive and mechanistic evaluation of autonomic and neurovascular function in midlife women including those undergoing menopause. Understanding how the neurovascular physiology of women relates to hot flashes will inform hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment and prevention options, as the presence of hot flashes are a CVD risk factor beyond traditional CVD risk factors and as such, is likely to be an important determinant for a woman’s health. Thus, the Applicant’s long-term goal is to develop interventions to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in women with hot flashes. The proposed studies will build on the Applicant’s previous training and the mentorship team, formal course work on running clinical trials, and technical training plan will provide opportunities to gain additional knowledge in a new area and learn new experimental techniques and approaches. Finally, this work will generate an investigative niche that will complement the Applicant’s intellectual and technical skills that will facilitate the launch of her independent career.