Public release date: 5-Nov-2007

ORLANDO, Nov. 5 – Breastfed babies are less likely to have certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007.

“Having been breastfed in infancy is associated with a lower average body mass index (BMI) and a higher average HDL (high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol) level in adulthood, even after accounting for personal and maternal demographic and CVD risk factors that could influence the results,” said Nisha I. Parikh, M.D., M.P.H., author of the study and a cardiovascular fellow at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass.

After adjustment for factors that could potentially influence the results (such as use of blood pressure-lowering medication, maternal education, maternal smoking, maternal body mass index, etc.), breastfed offspring had higher average HDL cholesterol levels in adulthood: 56.6 mg/dL vs. 53.7 mg/dL for the bottle-fed participants (though this was not significantly different once participant BMI was considered in later analysis).

The breastfed infants also had a significantly lower mean BMI in adulthood: 26.1 kg/m2 vs. 26.9 kg/m2 for bottle-fed infants. Adults with a BMI higher than 25 are considered overweight and are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.