Breastfeeding may protect against inflammation and heart disease in young adulthood

Babies of low birth weight and those who are never breastfed – or only breastfed for under 3 months – are more likely to grow into young adults with levels of chronic inflammation that can contribute to heart disease and metabolic disorders, warns a new study.

Researchers from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, report their findings in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

In their study background, they note that while we already know higher blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are a key biomarker of inflammation, and predict increased cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk in adulthood, we know little about the developmental factors that influence inflammation.

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), they evaluated levels of CRP in nearly 7,000 young adults aged from 24 to 32, and linked them back to their birth weight and how long they were breastfed for, if at all.

The study is particularly interesting because the researchers compared siblings, so they could remove biases that normally plague this kind of study.

They used differences in birth weight and breastfeeding duration between siblings to predict differences in adult CRP.

Their analysis showed that:

• Lower birth weights and shorter duration of breastfeeding predicted higher CRP levels in young adults
• For each extra pound of birth weight, the CRP level in young adulthood was 5% lower
• CRP levels were 20-30% lower in young adults who were breastfed for 3-12 months as babies compared to those who were never breastfed.

There were also dramatic racial, ethnic and education disparities. Babies born to white, Hispanic and more educated mothers were more likely to have higher birth weight and be breastfed, note the authors.

Study shows importance of breastfeeding for public health

The researchers conclude the results highlight the importance of promoting better birth outcomes and encouraging mothers to breastfeed for longer as a way to improve the general health of the adult population.

They add that increasing such awareness could narrow the intractable social gaps in adult health outcomes that are tied to inflammation.

Lead author Thomas McDade, professor of anthropology in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and faculty fellow of the university’s Institute for Policy Research, says:

“The findings about breastfeeding and birth weight are particularly illuminating. The rates for many adult diseases completely mirror rates of low birth weight and low breastfeeding uptake and duration.”

Breast milk gives newborns essential nutrients and supports their immune system following birth. It also affects the development of the immune system and metabolic processes linked to obesity – two ways that link to CRP production in adulthood.

Dr. Alan Guttmacher, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, says the study “helps us understand and appreciate the importance of breastfeeding, especially for low-weight infants,” and suggests “that breastfeeding may reduce a major risk factor for heart disease, well into adulthood.”

In 2013, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that breastfeeding is on the rise among American mothers, with big increases in numbers still breastfeeding at 6 months.

The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend that babies have only breast milk for the first 6 months of their lives, and continue to be breastfed as other foods are added to their diet for at least 6 more months.

Written byCatharine Paddock PhD

 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275868.php

 

 

 

Spring forward, heart attack: daylight savings ups cardiac risks

 

Implemented during World War I to save energy, changing clocks for daylight saving time seems to be a blessing in the fall and an inconvenience in the spring, when we lose an hour. But researchers say their latest study suggests rolling the clocks forward may cause more than sleep disruption; it may also accelerate cardiac events in some individuals.

This research comes at a time when experts are debating whether daylight saving time is needed anymore. Some experts have questioned whether it does in fact save energy, while others have wondered whether it may have more negative health effects than simply making us feel groggy.

Dr. Amneet Sandu, lead author and cardiology fellow at the University of Colorado, Denver, notes that we experience daylight saving time changes twice a year, which prompted the research team to investigate how the hour lost or gained impacts our body’s natural rhythm.

They present their research at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session, and their study is published in the journal Open Heart.

To conduct their investigation, the team used Michigan’s BMC2 database, which they explain collects data from every non-federal hospital in the state. The data helped them identify admissions for heart attacksrequiring intervention between January 2010 and September 2013.

In total, there were 42,060 hospital admissions in the analysis, and total daily admissions were adjusted for seasonal and weekday variations. They did this because heart attack rates peak in the winter and decrease in the summer.

The team notes that the rate of heart attacks is also higher on Mondays and lower at the weekend.

Heart attacks increased after losing an hour, decreased after gaining an hour

Results showed that the Monday after we turn the clocks forward saw a 25% increase in the number of heart attacks, compared with other Mondays of the year. The team says this trend remained true even after they accounted for seasonal variations.

Interestingly, the researchers found that in the fall when we turn our clocks back and gain an hour, there was a 21% decrease in the number of heart attacks experienced on the first Tuesday.

Dr. Sandhu says their findings suggest the time changes increase cardiac event risk for those particularly susceptible:

“What’s interesting is that the total number of heart attacks didn’t change the week after daylight saving time. But these events were much more frequent the Monday after the spring time change and then tapered off over the other days of the week. It may mean that people who are already vulnerable to heart disease may be at greater risk right after sudden time changes.”

He notes that though heart attacks historically occur most frequently on Monday morning, when they compared hospital admissions the Monday before the start of daylight saving time with the Monday after the time change for 4 years in a row, they found a consistent 34% increase in heart attacks from one week to the next.

In detail, there were 93 heart attacks on the Monday before rolling the clocks forward and 125 on the Monday after.

Study could enable hospital staff to be better prepared for surges

The team says they are unsure of exactly what might be driving the variation in heart attack timing after the time change.

 

However, Dr. Sandhu says they have a theory, explaining: “Perhaps the reason we see more heart attacks on Monday mornings is a combination of factors, including the stressof starting a new work week and inherent changes in our sleep-wake cycle.”

He adds that all of these changes are compounded by getting 1 less hour of sleep, and this suggests hospitals should increase staff on the Monday following the clock change.

“If we can identify days there may be surges in heart attacks, we can be ready to better care for our patients,” he says.

Though the study involved a large sample size, there were some limitations. It only used data from one state, for example, and it only included heart attacks that needed percutaneous coronary intervention, which means it excluded patients who died prior to getting help.

To improve on future research, Dr. Sandhu says it would be a good idea to compare their findings with heart attack rates in Hawaii and Arizona, two states that do not have daylight saving time. He also says more research is needed to fully understand the role of circadian rhythms on heart health.

He concludes by saying:

“We know from previous studies that a lack of sleep can trigger heart attacks, but we don’t have a good understanding of why people are so sensitive to changes in sleep-wake cycles. Our study suggests that sudden, even small changes in sleep could have detrimental effects.”

Medical News Today recently reported on a study that suggested an enzyme – known as CK1epsilon – lowers the ability for our bodies to adapt from a light to dark environment. Researchers from that study suggest blocking this enzyme could help humans exposed to shift-work or long-haul air travel adapt to body clock changes.

Written by Marie Ellis

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/274832.php