Women who suffer hot flushes during menopause could find that an intensive weight loss programme has a significantly favourable effect in reducing their frequency, say researchers from the University of California. In a six-month trial including 338 overweight women, the researchers found that for every 5kg loss in weight there was a 32% increase in likelihood of an improvement in hot flushes compared with a control group of overweight women who took part in a health education programme only. Changes in physical activity, calorie intake, blood pressure and physical and mental functioning over the six months were, however, not shown to have any relationship to improvements in hot flushes. Writing in the July 2010 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine the researchers say, “Our findings suggest that women who are overweight or obese and have bothersome hot flushes may be counselled that behavioural weight loss efforts may decrease the burden of their symptoms.”