Hot Flashes, Night Sweats Can Plague Women Seven Years or Longer

Women going through menopause may have hot flashes and night sweats that last for more than seven years, according to new research that debunks long-held theories that symptoms are mostly short-lived.

The study of women across the U.S. is the biggest examination of how long menopausal symptoms last, said the authors. Among the more than half of women who have frequent symptoms in mid-life, menopause lasts for 7.4 years on average. Symptoms can go on much longer for black women and Hispanic women, the research published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine showed.