Duration of breast feeding is related to arterial "stiffness"

To investigate the hypothesis that the duration of breast feeding might influence developing vascular disease later in life, Leeson et al (p 643) measured the distensibility of the brachial artery in young adults. Distensibility is a measure of vessel wall stiffness and is a marker of vascular function relevant to development of cardiovascular disease. They found that breast feeding in infancy for more than four months, was related to reduced arterial function 20 years later. The authors agree with current recommendations in favour of breast feeding, but say that further work is needed to investigate the optimal duration of breast feeding in relation to cardiovascular outcomes.

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Relevant Article

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

C P M Leeson, M Kattenhorn, J E Deanfield, and A Lucas
BMJ 2001 322: 643-647. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]