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To shed light on lactation's cardiovascular protective effects, researchers for the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) investigated the relation between breast-feeding and markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a subgroup of 279 mothers (age range, 45–58) who had breast-fed each of their children for ≥3 months (consistent breast-feeding group), had breast-fed any of their children for <3 months (inconsistent breast-feeding), or had never breast-fed. Coronary-artery and aortic calcification as well as carotid-artery intima-media thickness and carotid plaque were measured.
Analysis that was adjusted for family history, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status showed that risk for aortic calcification and coronary-arter…