Women dealing with hot flashes could soon have a new option for relief. The FDA has approved a nonhormonal drug designed to help ease those uncomfortable menopause symptoms.

FDA approves new nonhormonal menopause drug that targets hot flashes

This new drug shows real potential to cool hot flashes. Elinzanetant, which will be sold under the brand name Lynkuet, works in the brain, not with hormones.

Heres how it works: during menopause, women start producing less of the hormone estrogen. As levels drop, nerves in the brains hypothalamus that help control the bodys internal temperature can get overactive. This sends out too many chemical signals called neurokinins, which trigger hot flashes.

Thats when a woman suddenly starts feeling hot in the face, head and chest. Symptoms can also include flushing and sweating all of which can last a few minutes and feel quite disruptive.

 

Now, elinzanetant works by blocking two specific brain receptors, called neurokinin-1 and neurokinin-3, which trigger these sudden surges of heat. In a phase-three clinical trial involving more than 600 postmenopausal women, those taking 120 mg of elinzanetant saw a 73% drop in hot flashes and night sweats after just 12 weeks.

Even more encouraging, women also reported better sleep and a higher quality of life. The effects lasted for over a year.

The drug being nonhormonal is a big deal. Some women cant take hormone replacement therapy for example, those with a history of blood clots, heart disease and certain cancers like breast or ovarian. Also, some women may not want to take hormones.

The risks are different for each person and depend on individual health factors, so its important to talk with a doctor.

As for side effects, the most common ones were drowsiness, fatigue and headaches. Some women did show temporary increases in liver enzyme levels  Out of more than 300 women on elinzanetant, six had mild or moderate elevations, most of which resolved on their own, and only one led to stopping treatment. Importantly, there were no serious liver problems.

Its also worth noting that rare side effects sometimes only show up once a drug is used by a larger population. Thats why doctors will continue to monitor safety closely as more women take it.

But for many struggling with hot flashes or night sweats, this could make a real difference and should be available in the U.S. starting in November.

How many steps do you really need to protect your health? A new study suggests that walking just 4,000 steps on three or more days a week could cut your risk of death by about 40%.

This study looked at both overall death and heart risks. And surprisingly, more steps didnt mean more benefit than expected.

This study looked at more than 13,000 older women from the Boston area who wore activity trackers for a week. They were followed for more than 10 years, and what the researchers found was quite interesting.

Women who walked about 4,000 steps a day on three or more days a week lowered their risk of dying by up to 40%. Those who took the same number of steps a day, but only on one or two days a week, lowered their risk of dying by around 26%. That makes sense since they were walking less. But whats interesting is that both groups cut their heart disease risk by about the same amount 27% no matter how many days they walked.

Now, you might think that walking more would improve those numbers. But in this study, women who walked 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day lowered their risk of death by about 32%. And, their risk of heart disease was cut by 16%. So women who walked more didnt gain extra protection for longevity or heart compared to those walking 4,000 steps.

Let me be clear: more steps are not harmful. What the study shows is that the biggest benefits for both your heart and overall longevity happen once your body gets a moderate amount of activity about 4,000 steps a few days a week. After that, extra steps are safe, but the additional protection for both mortality and heart disease starts to plateau.

However, going beyond that can still help in other ways by improving things like your weight, mood, strength and sleep.

Now, if you want to add in more steps to your day, you can park a little farther away, take the stairs or walk during your lunch break. I recommend using a step tracker as it can help you stay on track. Also, make it fun join a walking group, listen to music or get a dog.

The key is to keep moving whenever you can. You dont have to be perfect every day to protect your heart and health.

This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show

Vitamin D deficiency affects 50% of the global population, often due to limited sunlight, restrictive diets or aging. In this episode, Dr. Partha Nandi, MD, talks with a guest whose deficiency led to leg pain, joint aches and muscle spasms that kept her up at night. Tune in to discover safe ways to boost your vitamin D levels and hear from more experts on managing this common issue. Tune in this Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.