Breastfeeding May Help Protect Mothers Against Stroke

Summary: A new study reveals breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of stroke in post menopausal women who had breastfed at least one child. Researchers report the association between breastfeeding and decreased stroke risk was stronger in women who had breastfed for longer than six months.

Source: American Hear Association.

Breastfeeding is not only good for babies, there is growing evidence it may also reduce the risk for stroke in post-menopausal women who reported breastfeeding at least one child, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association.

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death among women aged 65 and older, and is the third leading cause of death among Hispanic and black women aged 65 and older, according to the study.

“Some studies have reported that breastfeeding may reduce the rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in mothers. Recent findings point to the benefits of breastfeeding on heart disease and other specific cardiovascular risk factors,” said Lisette T. Jacobson, Ph.D., M.P.A., M.A., lead author of the study and assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.

This is among the first studies to examine breastfeeding and a possible relationship to stroke risk for mothers, as well as how such a relationship might vary by ethnicity.

Researchers analyzed data on 80,191 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative observational study, a large ongoing national study that has tracked the medical events and health habits of postmenopausal women who were recruited between 1993 and 1998. All women in this analysis had delivered one or more children and 58 percent reported ever having breastfed. Among these women, 51 percent breastfed for one-six months, 22 percent for seven-12 months and 27 percent for 13 or more months. At the time of recruitment, the average age was 63.7 years and the follow-up period was 12.6 years.

After adjusting for non-modifiable stroke risk factors (such as age and family history), researchers found stroke risk among women who breastfed their babies was on average:

  • 23 percent lower in all women,
  • 48 percent lower in black women,
  • 32 percent lower in Hispanic women,
  • 21 percent lower in white women, and
  • 19 percent lower in women who had breastfed for up to six months. A longer reported length of breastfeeding was associated with a greater reduction in risk.

“If you are pregnant, please consider breastfeeding as part of your birthing plan and continue to breastfeed for at least six months to receive the optimal benefits for you and your infant,” Jacobson said.

“Our study did not address whether racial/ethnic differences in breastfeeding contribute to disparities in stroke risk. Additional research should consider the degree to which breastfeeding might alter racial/ethnic differences in stroke risk,” Jacobson said.

Because the study was observational, it couldn’t establish a cause-and-effect relationship between breastfeeding and lower stroke risk, meaning that it is possible some other characteristic that distinguishes between women who breastfeed and those who don’t is the factor changing the stroke risk. However, because the Women’s Health Initiative is large, researchers were able to adjust for many characteristics, and the effects of breastfeeding remained strong, Jacobson said.

a mom breastfeeding a newborn
This is among the first studies to examine breastfeeding and a possible relationship to stroke risk for mothers, as well as how such a relationship might vary by ethnicity. NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

“Breastfeeding is only one of many factors that could potentially protect against stroke. Others include getting adequate exercise, choosing healthy foods, not smoking and seeking treatment if needed to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar in the normal range,” Jacobson said.

The study was also limited by the relatively small number of strokes that occurred during the follow-up period (just 3.4 percent of the women experienced a stroke during the study period and 1.6 percent reported having had a stroke prior to the study) and by the Women’s Health Initiative’s exclusion of women who had already had severe strokes at the time of recruitment.

Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months, with continuation of breast feeding for one year or longer. For babies health, the American Heart Association recommends breastfeeding for 12 months with transition to other additional sources of nutrients beginning at about four – six months of age to ensure sufficient micronutrients in the diet.

About this neuroscience research article

Funding: Frontiers: The Heartland Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and the Wichita Center for Graduate Medical Education-Kansas Bioscience Authority funded the study. The WHI was supported by the National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Source: James Devitt – American Hear Association
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Open access research for “Breastfeeding History and Risk of Stroke Among Parous Postmenopausal Women in the Women’s Health Initiative” by Lisette T. Jacobson, Erinn M. Hade, Tracie C. Collins, Karen L. Margolis, Molly E. Waring, Linda V. Van Horn, Brian Silver, Maryam Sattari, Chloe E. Bird, Kim Kimminau, Karen Wambach, and Marcia L. Stefanick in Journal of the American Heart Association. Published August 22 2018.
doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.008739

Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article

[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]American Hear Association”Breastfeeding May Help Protect Mothers Against Stroke.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 22 August 2018.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/breastfeeding-stroke-prevention-9726/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]American Hear Association(2018, August 22). Breastfeeding May Help Protect Mothers Against Stroke. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved August 22, 2018 from https://neurosciencenews.com/breastfeeding-stroke-prevention-9726/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]American Hear Association”Breastfeeding May Help Protect Mothers Against Stroke.” https://neurosciencenews.com/breastfeeding-stroke-prevention-9726/ (accessed August 22, 2018).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]


Abstract

Breastfeeding History and Risk of Stroke Among Parous Postmenopausal Women in the Women’s Health Initiative

Background
Stroke is the third leading cause of death among US Hispanic and non‐Hispanic black women aged 65 and older. One factor that may protect against stroke is breastfeeding. Few studies have assessed the association between breastfeeding and stroke and whether this association differs by race and ethnicity.

Methods and Results
Data were taken from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study with follow‐up through 2010; adjusted hazard ratios for stroke subsequent to childbirth were estimated with Cox regression models accounting for left and right censoring, overall and stratified by race/ethnicity. Of the 80 191 parous women in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, 2699 (3.4%) had experienced a stroke within a follow‐up period of 12.6 years. The average age was 63.7 years at baseline. Fifty‐eight percent (n=46 699) reported ever breastfeeding; 83% were non‐Hispanic white, 8% were non‐Hispanic black, 4% were Hispanic, and 5% were of other race/ethnicity. After adjustment for nonmodifiable potential confounders, compared with women who had never breastfed, women who reported ever breastfeeding had a 23% lower risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratio=0.77; 95% confidence interval 0.70‐0.83). This association was strongest for non‐Hispanic black women (adjusted hazard ratio=0.52; 95% confidence interval 0.37‐0.71). Further, breastfeeding for a relatively short duration (1‐6 months) was associated with a 19% lower risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratios=0.81; 95% confidence interval 0.74‐0.89). This association appeared stronger with longer breastfeeding duration and among non‐Hispanic white and non‐Hispanic black women (test for trend P<0.01).

Conclusions
Study results show an association and dose‐response relationship between breastfeeding and lower risk of stroke among postmenopausal women after adjustment for multiple stroke risk factors and lifestyle variables. Further investigation is warranted.

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