Duration of breast feeding and arterial distensibility in early adult life: population based study

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7287.643

BMJ 2001;322:643-647 ( 17 March )

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Duration of breast feeding and arterial distensibility in early adult life: population based study

Editorial by Booth

C P M Leeson, research fellow, ^a M Kattenhorn, vascular technician, ^b J E Deanfield, professor, ^b A Lucas, professor. ^a

^a Medical Research Council Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, ^b Vascular Physiology Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH

Correspondence to: C P M Leeson cpm_leeson{at}hotmail.com

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that duration of breastfeeding is related to changes in vascular function relevant tothe development of cardiovasculardisease.
Design: Population based observationalstudy.
Setting: Cambridge.
Participants: 331 adults (171 women, 160 men) aged between20 and 28 years, born in Cambridge MaternityHospital.
Main outcome measures: Distensibility of brachial artery, type andduration of infant feeding, current lipid profile, and other cardiovascularriskfactors.
Results: The longer the period of breast feeding theless distensible the artery wall in early adult life, with nosex differences (regression coefficient = $-$ 3.93 µm/month, 95%confidence interval $-$ 7.29 to $-$ 0.57, P=0.02). However, in thosebreast fed for less than four months, arterial distensibilitywas not significantly reduced compared with an exclusively formulafed group. The vascular changes observed were not explained byalterations in plasma cholesterol concentration in adultlife.
Conclusions: Breast feeding in infancy is related to reducedarterial function 20 years later. These data should not altercurrent recommendations in favour of breast feeding, which hasseveral benefits for infant health. Further work is needed, however,to explore the optimal duration of breast feeding in relationto cardiovascularoutcomes.

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Rapid Responses:

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