[health-vn] Breastfeeding linked to reduced CVD risk

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: [procor] Breastfeeding linked to reduced CVD risk
Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 11:32:03 -0400
From: ProCor <procor at procor.org>
Reply-To: Global Dialogue <procor at list.procor.org>
To: Global Dialogue <procor at list.procor.org>

[Breastfeeding may have an affect in women's risk of cardiovascular disease. 
Learn more about Women's Heart Health in the Issues section of ProCor: 
www.procor.org.]

Women who breastfeed are less likely to develop hypertension, diabetes, 
hyperlipidemia, and CVD later in life...

Title: Duration of lactation and risk factors for maternal cardiovascular disease

Authors: EB Schwarz, RM Ray, AM Stuebe, MA Allison, et al.

Reference: Obstet Gynecol 2009; 113: 974-982, 
http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/pages/default.aspx (open access)

Reviewer: Carlos Mendoza Montano, PhD, ProCor contributing editor; President, 
Guatemalan Association for the Prevention of Heart Diseases (APRECOR), Guatemala 
City, Guatemala

Problem addressed: Diet and exercise are widely known to affect cardiovascular 
disease (CVD), but less is known about the effect a woman's decision to 
breastfeed her children may have on her future risk of CVD. Active lactation has 
been shown to improve glucose tolerance, lipid metabolism, and C-reactive 
protein. Recently, a number of studies have indicated longer range effects of 
lactation. Whether lactation actually decreases risk of CVD and whether the 
benefits of lactation persist after menopause is unclear.

Purpose of study: To examine the effect of lactation on subsequent risk of 
obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and CVD among postmenopausal women.

Location of study: United States

Study design: This investigation examined data from 139,681 postmenopausal women 
(median age 63 years) who reported at least one live birth on enrolling in the 
Women's Health Initiative observational study or controlled trials. 
Multivariable models were used to control for sociodemographic (age, parity, 
race, education, income, age at menopause), lifestyle, and family history 
variables when examining the effect of duration of lactation on risk factors for 
CVD, including obesity (BMI at or above 30), hypertension, self-reported 
diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and prevalent and incident CVD.

Results: In fully adjusted models, women who reported a lifetime history of more 
than 12 months of lactation were less likely to have hypertension (odds ratio 
[OR] 0.88), diabetes (OR 0.80), hyperlipidemia (OR 0.81), or CVD (OR 0.91) than 
women who never breastfed, but they were not less likely to be obese. In models 
adjusted for all above variables and BMI, similar relationships were seen. Using 
multivariate adjusted prevalence ratios, the investigators estimated that among 
parous women who did not breastfeed compared with those who breastfed for more 
than 12 months, 42.1% versus 38.6% would have hypertension, 5.3% versus 4.3% 
would have diabetes, 14.8% versus 12.3% would have hyperlipidemia, and 9.9% 
versus 9.1% would have developed CVD when postmenopausal. Over an average of 7.9 
years of postmenopausal participation in the Women's Health Initiative, women 
with a single live birth who breastfed for 7-12 months were significantly less 
likely to develop CVD (hazard ratio 0.72) than women who never breastfed.

Comments: This study found that women who breastfed their children were less 
likely to have developed hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and CVD when 
postmenopausal. Women who reported longer histories of lactation had 
significantly lower rates of risk factors for CVD. This implies that 
recommendations that women breastfeed their infants for the first year of life 
should be endorsed for the benefit of both maternal and child health.

Citations:
1. Stuebe AM, Rich-Edwards JW, Willett WC, Manson JE, Michels KB. Duration of 
lactation and incidence of type 2 diabetes. JAMA 2005; 294:2601-2610.
2. Williams MJ, Williams SM, Poulton R. Breast feeding is related to C reactive 
protein concentration in adult women. J Epidemiol Community Health 2006; 60:146-148.