Stroke is the third-leading cause of death for women, according to reports. A new study from the Heart doctors says sbreastfeeding may be added to the list of ways to reduce the risk of stroke later in life.
Other several risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking and protective factors include such as controlling blood sugar and blood pressure and exercising, have been identified for stroke by the American Stroke Association.
The research shows that, compared to with women who had never breastfed, stroke risk was 23 percent lower overall in women who did. It was most pronounced in non-Hispanic black women, who had a 48 percent lower risk, followed by Hispanic women, who had a 32 percent lower risk.
White women showed a 21 percent lower risk. There was a slightly lower reduction in overall stroke risk, 19 percent, for women who had breastfed for at least one to six months.
These are the current breastfeeding guidelines?
The guidelines, recommend that women breastfeed for at least six months to reap benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and baby.
One Dr. Lisette Jacobson, hopes that the new study will encourage women to follow these guidelines.
“For women of reproductive age who are thinking of having a baby, I would say to strongly consider breastfeeding as a part of your birthing plan, at least for the recommended six month period,” she said.
The study was observational, the researchers didn’t intervene and ask one group to breastfeed longer or shorter, so it cannot establish a “cause and effect” relationship between breastfeeding and stroke.
The data does seem to link the two, however, and it is hoped that the findings of this study will spark further research to learn more about the relationship.
Stroke also happens to be leading cause of death overall in non-Hispanic black women and Hispanic women over the age of 65, so Jacobson says the study may give priceless information to public outreach programs about breastfeeding.
“We need to increase public awareness of breastfeeding and maternal outcomes later in life in general,” Jacobson said, “but especially for those populations — non-Hispanic black and Hispanic Americans — who face a larger health burden from stroke.”