More breastfeeding, less heart attacks

By Yesim Sert Karaaslan

ANKARA (AA) – Breastfeeding can reduce risks of cardiovascular diseases among women, a medical doctor has said.

Quoting recent studies, Dr. Okan Bulent Yildiz told Anadolu Agency on Friday that breastfeeding after birth has potential to reduce the risk of many diseases, including vessel stiffness as well as breast and ovarian cancer.

"These effects may be due to the increase in prolactin and oxytocin hormone levels in the blood because of breastfeeding. And also because of increase in body's energy consumption,” he said.

He further said studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of hypertension, diabetes and metabolic syndrome by about 20-50%.

The medical doctor, who teaches endocrinology and metabolism at the Ankara-based Hacettepe University Medical School, said that studies conducted at the University of Athens have shown a link between the breastfeeding and the cardiovascular diseases.

He said the research had concluded that increasing breastfeeding time was reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Both were inversely proportional to each other.

“Vessel stiffness was found lower in women, who breastfed babies more than six months, compared to those who breastfed lesser time,” the doctor added.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit