Most women expect hot flashes as a part of the "change of life", but more than half start sweating before menopause has actually begun, according to a survey. The study and others "indicate that women start having hot flashes and night sweats, the primary symptoms of the menopause transition, before they have their final menstrual period, contrary to the perception of many clinicians", according to Ellen Gold, of the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. Previous studies put the number of women with hot flashes at 15 or 20%, but those specifically asked about hot flashes in the past two weeks, which may be a better measure of early onset menopause symptoms than the current study, which asked, "Have you ever had a hot flash?", said Gold, who was not involved in the study. The findings, published in the journal Menopause, shouldn't be a concern for women, but it may change how researchers look at hot flashes, according to lead author Dr S...