Hot flashes that arise in the middle of a meeting, soaked sheets in the middle of the night, sudden chills that force you to change: for many women around the age of fifty, the
menopause rhymes with permanent discomfort. These vasomotor symptoms affect nearly 75% of women and can last from two to ten years.
A team from the University of Victoria, in Canada, today shows that a discreet actor could carry a lot of weight: theinsulin. In a study published on January 3, 2026 in the The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismits fasting levels around age 47 appear linked to the age of onset and the duration of
hot flashes and
night sweats.
Vasomotor symptoms: a heavy burden on daily life
These hot flashes and cold sweats can appear up to two years before the last period and persist for up to ten years afterwards. Presenting a file in a meeting or providing night shift duty becomes difficult when your face suddenly turns red and your shirt becomes soaked. But not all women are affected to the same extent.
Studies have already linked obesity, insulin resistance and symptom intensity, as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.There is growing awareness of the interplay between metabolic health and reproductive health“, explains Nicole Templeman, professor of biology, quoted by the University of Victoria. “Since insulin can be elevated in the early stages of metabolic disorders, we decided to examine whether insulin levels before menopause could provide insight into the incidence and severity of symptoms.“, says Templeman.
High insulin: earlier and longer hot flashes
The researchers analyzed 704 women from the American cohort
Study of Women’s Health Across the Nationfollowed for approximately ten years. At 47 years old, their insulin fasting was measured, then linked to the symptoms reported each year. “The study showed that higher insulin levels at age 47 predicted earlier onsets of hot flashes and night sweats“, said Faria Athar, cited by the University of Victoria.
“Higher insulin levels at age 47 were also associated with longer durations of hot flashes and cold sweats, and increased testosterone levels during the menopausal transition.“, continues Faria Athar, a PhD graduate from the University of Victoria. Body mass index followed a similar pattern, with earlier and more prolonged symptoms in heavier women, but its effect diminished when insulin and blood sugar were analyzed at the same time.”These findings help fill some gaps in our understanding of menopause symptoms and why their severity varies from woman to woman.“, adds Athar.
A path of hope: acting on your insulin with lifestyle
Analyzes showed that insulin may be a better indicator of hot flashes when other metabolic variables are taken into account, while BMI appeared more closely associated with the dynamics of changes in estrogen levels.
This work suggests a margin of action, even if no test has yet proven that by lowering theinsulinwe directly reduce the hot flashes. The authors emphasize that making obesity disappear remains difficult, whileinsulin can sometimes respond more quickly to lifestyle changes, such as a healthier diet or regular exercise without noticeable weight loss.