Breastfeeding Linked to Lower CVD Risk in Later Life
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In a meta-analysis of more than 1 million mothers, those who breastfed their children had an 11% to 17% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke, and of dying from CVD, in later life than mothers who did not. On average, the women had two children and had breastfed for 15.9 months in total. Longer breastfeeding was associated with greater CV health benefit. This meta-analysis of eight studies from different countries was published online January 11 in an issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association devoted to the impact of pregnancy on CV health in the mother and child. Breastfeeding is known to be associated with a lower risk for death from infectious disease and with fewer respiratory infections in babies, the researchers write, but what is less well known is that it is also associated with a reduced risk for breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes in mothers.
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@milind The study did not address the definitive amount of time of breastfeeding and its correlation to the improvement of CVD risk, but it did show that for the lifetime duration, the longer the better. Clinicians and employers must provide ways to educate women about breastfeeding and make it easy for women who are in the workplace to pump, and to provide them with resources where possible