|
News from the College of Veterinary Medicine University of Illinois 3225 Vet. Med. Basic Sciences Bldg. 2001 S. Lincoln Ave. Urbana, IL 61802 |
September 10, 2007 Release on |
| Contact: |
Chris Beuoy 217/244-1562 beuoy@illinois.edu |
$3 Million Grant Furthers Study of Risk Factors for Hot Flashes
Urbana, Ill. - With the help of a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine will begin to examine why obesity is associated with increased risk of hot flashes in mid-life women.Earlier this year, Dr. Jodi Flaws, veterinary biosciences professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, found that obese women have lower levels of estrogen.
Her new study, entitled "Risk Factors for Hot Flashes in Mid-Life Women," will test the hypothesis that obesity is associated with hot flashes through mechanisms that involve ovarian failure, altered sex steroid hormone levels, and selected genetic polymorphisms.
Dr. Flaws and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University will recruit obese and non-obese perimenopausal women aged 45 to 54 and will follow them for four years to determine whether differences in hormones or genetics increase risk of hot flashes. While most participants will be recruited from the state of Maryland, some may be recruited within Illinois.
To read more about Dr. Flaws' recent findings, visit http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/07/0424flashes.html.