NCT06222073

Getting Under the Skin of the Menopausal Hot Flush

The Menopausal Hot Flush: Cutaneous Vascular and Sudomotor Function and Structure in Symptomatic Women

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Liverpool John Moores University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The aim of this research is to 1) test how the skin blood vessels and sweat glands function in women who experience hot flushes by using skin microdialysis to deliver small amounts of substances to the skin that cause increased skin blood flow and sweating, and 2) examine the structure of the skin blood vessels and sweat glands in the skin of women who experience hot flushes by taking a very small skin biopsy. Any changes in the function or structure of the skin blood vessels or sweat glands in women with hot flushes would increase our understanding of what causes hot flushes and help to design effective treatments.

Detailed description

In a cross-sectional design, participants will attend the laboratory on two separate occasions. At visit 1, anthropometric measurements will be recorded and a venous blood sample will be collected to determine hormone status (e.g. oestradiol level) and pro-inflammatory markers (e.g. IL-8, Prostaglandin 2E). Participants will then undergo assessment of post-ganglionic skin blood vessel and sweat gland responsiveness (transdermal/cutaneous microdialysis). At visit 2 (\~7 days later), participants will undergo a skin punch biopsy.

Conditions

• Menopause

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-01-01
• Primary completion: 2025-10-31
• Completion: 2025-12-31
• First posted: 2024-01-24
• Last updated: 2025-03-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom