Breastfeeding may reduce cardio risk later in life

"Women may be able to stave off cardiovascular disease after menopause by breastfeeding their children, an observational study showed. Total time spent breastfeeding over a lifetime was associated with reductions in the risk of prevalent hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative, according to Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues. Women who breastfed for at least one year were 9% less likely have cardiovascular disease at baseline than those who had never breastfed their children, they reported in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology"