Mar 02 (Reuters Health) - It has been reported that individuals who were
breast-fed during infancy appear to have decreased risk of death from heart
disease. Now, new research suggests that this may be due to blood pressure-
lowering effects of breast-feeding.

"The wider promotion of breast-feeding is a potential component of the
public health strategy to reduce population levels of blood pressure," the
researchers suggest in the current issue of Circulation: Journal of the
American Heart Association.


The findings are based on a study of 4,763 non-twin, full-term infants who
had their blood pressures determined at 7.5 years of age. Questionnaires
were also sent to the mothers to assess breast-feeding during infancy.


Dr. Richard M. Martin, from the University of Bristol in the UK, and
colleagues found that breast-fed children had systolic blood pressure-the
top number of the blood pressure reading--1.2 mm Hg lower than those of
children who were not breast-fed. The corresponding decrease for diastolic
pressure-the lower number of the blood pressure reading--was 0.9 mm Hg


After Martin's group took into consideration various demographic factors
that could contribute to the development of high blood pressure, the
effects of breast- feeding were lessen, although still statistically
significant.


The findings did not differ between infants who were breast-fed only and
those who received a combination of breast milk and formula, the authors
note. However, the duration of breast-feeding did have an effect; for each
three-month period of feeding, the systolic pressure fell by 0.2 mm Hg.


Although breast-feeding was only linked to a small reduction in blood
pressure, this could still have a strong impact on heart disease mortality,
Martin said in a statement.


"A one-percent reduction in population systolic blood pressure levels is
associated with about a 1.5-percent reduction in all-cause mortality,
equivalent to a lessening in premature death of about 8000 to 2000 deaths
per year in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively," he
added.


SOURCE: Circulation, March 1, 2004.

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