A recently conducted study has shown that women who have quit smoking may have few or very less severe hot flashes during menopause as compared to women who continue to smoke. Findings of the study were reported in the journal Maturitas.

Researchers during the study found that women who had not smoked for at least five years were 45% less likely to have severe or frequent hot flashes than current smokers. But they also found that ex-smokers were still more likely to have symptoms than women who had never smoked.

Lead author Rebecca Smith, a researcher in epidemiology at the University of Illinois, said, “While the effect was strongest if women quit at least five years before the onset of menopause, even women quitting later did have a better outcome than women who continued to smoke. I hope this encourages women to quit smoking”.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking is the leading cause of avoidable deaths in the US. It dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and lung cancer and is also considered responsible for contributing to cancers.

When women go through menopause typically between 45 and 55, their ovaries curb production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Women can experience symptoms such as vaginal dryness, mood swings, insomnia, and hot flashes and night sweats.

Researchers for the study studied 761 women ages 45 to 54, and followed then for up to seven years. At the beginning of the study 347 women were experiencing hot flashes.

Only 39% of never-smokers had hot flashes, compared with 52% of ex-smokers and 62% of current smokers. And about 47% of current smokers had moderate or severe hot flashes and were most likely to have symptoms daily or weekly.