Dear HealthSmart,

I have suffered from bad body odor ever since I can remember, and apply antiperspirant multiple times a day. A friend told me that antiperspirants are linked to breast cancer. Is this true?! If so, why is it so readily available, and why is it not labeled with warning signs, as cigarettes are?

HealthSmart asked Dr. Kris McGrath, Professor of Internal Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and author of the 2003 study “An earlier age of breast cancer diagnosis related to more frequent use of antiperspirants/deodorants and underarm shaving”. Here’s his response:

My 2003 study showed a significant link between women who develop breast cancer and those who both used antiperspirants and shave their underarms. The reason being that antiperspirants contain aluminum salts which are used to block our glands from releasing sweat. The practice of shaving your underarms opens up the pathways in which the aluminum is received. Furthermore, a majority of breast cancer cases are located in lymph nodes on the outer edges of the breast, directly under your arm. I would argue that there is no coincidence that this is the same location antiperspirants are applied. Unfortunately, long term studies that follow women who use antiperspirants over decades have not been done to prove this, and for this reason antiperspirants remain widely available, without any warning to their potential harm.

Dear HealthSmart,

When do women typically start getting hot flashes that are associated with menopause? For how many years will the average woman suffer from them?

HealthSmart asked Dr. Rebecca Thurston, Ph.D., Director of Women’s Biobehavioral Health Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Here’s her response:

Typically, women will begin experiencing hot flashes in their mid-forties to early-fifties, but there is a large group of women who will experience them much younger, with onset in their mid to late thirties. There are certain characteristics that may lead a woman to experience hot flashes at younger age, such as race, alcohol use, ovarian aging, or early onset menopause. Hot flashes that start in the late 30s are often associated with ovarian aging. The average duration of hot flashes is seven to ten years, but this is just for moderate, severe, or very frequent hot flashes. Instances of milder hot flashes can persist for many more years. Women are who are African American, obese, or start menstruating at an earlier age typically have hot flashes for a longer duration of years. It’s worth noting that women who begin having hot flashes earlier than age 42 tend to be associated with higher cardio vascular risk.

Dear HealthSmart,

I’m a woman in her 70s who suffers from reoccurring urinary tract infections. What preventative measures can I take? What works and what doesn’t?

HealthSmart asked Dr. Joseph Ouslander,M.D., Senior Associate Dean of Geriatric Programs at Florida Atlantic University. Here’s his response:

There are studies that show using topical estrogen in the vaginal region can help strengthen the tissues and protect against recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs). Some women use a topical estrogen cream or insert a vaginal ring. Other protective measures women can take are emptying the bladder and various relaxation techniques. Good hygiene is vital – wiping in the right direction and using cleansing wipes will help keep unwanted bacteria out. A recent study indicates that cranberry pills don’t work at preventing UTIs in older women.

Do you have questions on health or wellness you’d like answered by the nation’s leading medical researchers? If so, you can send to Editor@WashNews.com. HealthSmart is a national newspaper column from the Washington News Service in DC. Due to demand, we are unable to reply to all inquiries. Responses through the column are no substitute for care from physicians or other medical professionals.

Copyright Ellen James Martin 2021