RESUMO
BACKGROUND: During the postmenopausal period, hot flashes are frequent symptoms and might impact quality of life. Vitamin D deficiency is commonly seen in this period. This study aims to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency and hot flashes. METHODS: Two hundred ten postmenopausal women were recruited. The participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of postmenopausal women with hot flashes (n = 104), and Group 2 included the participants without hot flashes (n = 106). RESULTS: The comparison of the two groups concerning vitamin D level showed that 52 patients Group 1 had vitamin 25(OH)D levels below 20 ng/mL, whereas only 25 patients in Group 2 (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age and menopause duration, there was also a significant difference between groups (21.65 vs. 34.17, respectively, p < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, one unit decrease of vitamin 25(OH)D (1 - 0.941 = 0.059) increased the risk of hot flashes by 5.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The decreases of vitamin D levels were significantly associated with hot flashes in postmenopausal women independent of age and menopause duration.