There are two new studies that may be of great interest to women. The first is good news for those of you who suffer from hot flashes. The second shows how important it is to keep your weight in check if you want to have a baby.

Dr. Renee Mestad, an OB-GYN with Upstate University Hospital appeared on Today in Central New York to talk about the studies.

The first study finds women who experience menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes, have a lower risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers say a woman's risk could be reduced by as much as 50 percent if she has more symptoms.

In this study, researchers looked at 1,437 post-menopausal women, 988 of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The research confirmed their suspicion that women with high levels of estrogen can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

This finding is small, yet significant in helping researchers further understand breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths to women in the U.S.

The second study looks at the relationship between weight, race and fertility in women. It finds fertility treatments were about 20 percent more likely to fail in obese women. Researchers have recognized this correlation for some time, but the new concern is race. When looking at normal weight women undergoing fertility treatments, minority women had lower pregnancy and birth rates that white women.

The studies were based on data collected from U.S. fertility clinics in 2007, where more than 31,000 embryo transfers were performed.

A possible explanation for why obese women have lower success rates than thinner women in fertility treatments is because of how fat affects hormone levels or low-level inflammation. However, this doesn't explain the differences between success levels of different races. A possible explanation could be because of how the weight is typically distributed in women or in vitamin deficiencies.