Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women
IntroductionThe major pathophysiological symptom of the menopause affecting daily life is hot flushes, which are also associated with elevated cardiovascular disease risk. A hot flush is a sudden and intense heat sensation causing skin flushing and profuse sweating. Menopause-induced oestrogen defic...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1514960/full |
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| author | Kirsty A. Roberts Kirsty A. Roberts Abigail Doyle Helen Jones Helen Jones David A. Low David A. Low |
| author_facet | Kirsty A. Roberts Kirsty A. Roberts Abigail Doyle Helen Jones Helen Jones David A. Low David A. Low |
| author_sort | Kirsty A. Roberts |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe major pathophysiological symptom of the menopause affecting daily life is hot flushes, which are also associated with elevated cardiovascular disease risk. A hot flush is a sudden and intense heat sensation causing skin flushing and profuse sweating. Menopause-induced oestrogen deficiency could increase the sensitivity of skin blood vessels and sweat glands in postmenopausal women, which could result in more frequent and larger increases in skin blood flow in postmenopausal women consistent with hot flushes. Furthermore, oestrogen withdrawal could also alter the structure of the skin blood vessels and/or sweat glands which may also contribute to hot flushes. This trial aims to examine the function and structure of skin blood vessels and sweat glands in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.Methods and analysisThis is a single-centre multi-cohort observational study. Participants will attend the laboratory at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) on two separate occasions, ∼7 days apart. Visit 1 will consist of anthropometry, a blood sample and assessment of post-ganglionic skin blood vessel and sweat gland responsiveness via cutaneous microdialysis. At visit 2, participants will return for a skin punch biopsy. A between groups statistical analysis of the pre- and postmenopausal cohorts will be conducted in a blinded manner.Ethics and disseminationThe trial was approved by the North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee (22/NW/0300) in the UK. The study adheres to The Declaration of Helsinki and is being conducted in accordance with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research.DiscussionIdentifying functional and/or structural changes in skin blood vessels or sweat glands in women with hot flushes would increase our understanding of their cause(s) and side effects, and help to design effective treatments, including interventions that can manipulate the activity of the skin blood vessels and/or sweat glands via pharmacological or non-pharmacological methods.
Trial registration numbersNCT06222073. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7ff9c98628c4414b69af3858011032a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-5059 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7ff9c98628c4414b69af3858011032a2025-08-20T03:18:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Global Women's Health2673-50592025-08-01610.3389/fgwh.2025.15149601514960Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal womenKirsty A. Roberts0Kirsty A. Roberts1Abigail Doyle2Helen Jones3Helen Jones4David A. Low5David A. Low6Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomLiverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United KingdomResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomLiverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United KingdomResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomLiverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United KingdomIntroductionThe major pathophysiological symptom of the menopause affecting daily life is hot flushes, which are also associated with elevated cardiovascular disease risk. A hot flush is a sudden and intense heat sensation causing skin flushing and profuse sweating. Menopause-induced oestrogen deficiency could increase the sensitivity of skin blood vessels and sweat glands in postmenopausal women, which could result in more frequent and larger increases in skin blood flow in postmenopausal women consistent with hot flushes. Furthermore, oestrogen withdrawal could also alter the structure of the skin blood vessels and/or sweat glands which may also contribute to hot flushes. This trial aims to examine the function and structure of skin blood vessels and sweat glands in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.Methods and analysisThis is a single-centre multi-cohort observational study. Participants will attend the laboratory at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) on two separate occasions, ∼7 days apart. Visit 1 will consist of anthropometry, a blood sample and assessment of post-ganglionic skin blood vessel and sweat gland responsiveness via cutaneous microdialysis. At visit 2, participants will return for a skin punch biopsy. A between groups statistical analysis of the pre- and postmenopausal cohorts will be conducted in a blinded manner.Ethics and disseminationThe trial was approved by the North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee (22/NW/0300) in the UK. The study adheres to The Declaration of Helsinki and is being conducted in accordance with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research.DiscussionIdentifying functional and/or structural changes in skin blood vessels or sweat glands in women with hot flushes would increase our understanding of their cause(s) and side effects, and help to design effective treatments, including interventions that can manipulate the activity of the skin blood vessels and/or sweat glands via pharmacological or non-pharmacological methods. Trial registration numbersNCT06222073.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1514960/fullskinmenopausehot flushblood flowsweating |
| spellingShingle | Kirsty A. Roberts Kirsty A. Roberts Abigail Doyle Helen Jones Helen Jones David A. Low David A. Low Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women Frontiers in Global Women's Health skin menopause hot flush blood flow sweating |
| title | Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women |
| title_full | Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women |
| title_fullStr | Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women |
| title_short | Getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush: a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women |
| title_sort | getting under the skin of the menopausal hot flush a protocol to examine skin function and structure in symptomatic postmenopausal women |
| topic | skin menopause hot flush blood flow sweating |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1514960/full |
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