Hot Flushes Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All - So Why Do We Treat Them That Way?

The FDA’s recent approval of Bayer’s Lynkuet, a nonhormonal treatment targeting hot flushes, is progress in nonhormonal treatment for menopause symptoms like hot flushes. But amid the excitement, it’s worth asking: are we focusing too much on treating symptoms and not enough on understanding their cause?

Yes, menopause is the most common trigger, but hot flushes are different for every woman. Their underlying mechanisms can differ based on neurobiology, metabolism, stress response, and more. And in some cases, hot flushes could signal underlying medical conditions like thyroid issues, medication side effects, or even certain cancers

If we continue to treat hot flushes as a uniform experience, we risk missing critical pieces of the puzzle and overlooking more personalised, effective care.

New drugs are only part of the solution. Understanding individual journeys and disease trajectories is the other.