Breast-Feeding May Lower
Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
Excerpt By Charnicia E. Huggins, Reuter's Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who spend a total of 2 or more years of their lives breast-feeding may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who breast-feed for 3 months or less, new study findings show.

"We know that breast-feeding is good for the babies," lead study author Dr. Elizabeth W. Karlson of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, told Reuters Health. "This is a study that suggests that breast-feeding is beneficial for the mother."

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system, for unknown reasons, mistakenly attacks the joints, leading to inflammation, swelling and pain. Over time, this process erodes the bone and soft tissue within the joints. The condition is more common in women than in men, and previous research suggests that certain hormonal factors may be associated with an increased risk of the disease.

Karlson and her team investigated that association in a study of about 80,000 women from 11 states who were involved in the on-going Nurses' Health Study from 1976-2000. They evaluated the influence of several reproductive and hormonal risk factors including the women's age at first menstruation, their number of children, their age at their first birth and their length of time spent breast-feeding.

Overall, 623 women developed rheumatoid arthritis during the study period. Those who did not have children were more likely to develop the condition than mothers, the investigators report.

And among mothers, those who spent a cumulative 2 or more years breast-feeding were 50% less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who breast-fed for 3 months or less, study findings indicate.

Those who breast-fed for 13 to 23 months also tended to have a lower risk of developing the condition, but the risk was lowest among those who breast-fed for at least 24 months, which suggests that the "longer you breast-feed, the larger the reduction" in risk, Karlson said.

Furthermore, the link between the length of time spent breast-feeding and the reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis remained even when the investigators took into consideration the women's smoking, which is known to be associated with an increased risk of the condition, Karlson said.

The exact reason for the association is unknown, but Karlson speculated that it may be due to one of the hormonal factors that are elevated during breast-feeding. More study is needed, she said.

No association was found between any other reproductive or hormonal factors and rheumatoid arthritis risk.

The study findings were presented on Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Reference Source 89

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".