According to a study presented at the 27th Meeting of the Society for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine, women who choose to breastfeed are less likely to suffer from Coronary Artery Disease later in life. The study, involving nearly 90,000 women, followed women who chose to breastfeed and those who chose not to breastfeed. Of the 90,000 women, just over 2,500 cases of coronary heart disease were diagnosed. The women who breastfed for a total of 2 total years, were 37% less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease when adjusted for age and stillbirth history. After adjusting further for family history and lifestyle factors associated with coronary heart disease, women remained 23% less likely to contract CHD if they breastfed for 2 years or more during their lifetime.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology - March 20, 2008
Authors: Alison M. Stuebe, MD, MS, Karin B. Michels, ScD, PhD, Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Kathryn Rexrode, MD, MPH, Janet W. Rich-Edwards, ScD