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Sex differences in the association between infant feeding and blood cholesterol in later life: the Newcastle thousand families cohort study at age 49–51 years

  • DEVELOPMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
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Abstract

Previous studies have suggested an association between being breastfed and later cholesterol levels. We investigated whether duration of total and exclusive breastfeeding were related to circulating total, HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride measures at age 50, and whether such associations differ between men and women. Members of the Newcastle thousand families study were followed from birth in 1947. Men (n = 179) and 226 women (n = 226) with blood cholesterol and triglyceride measures at age 50 and with prospectively recorded duration of both total and exclusive breastfeeding were included. Neither total duration nor duration of exclusive breastfeeding were associated with the outcome measures when analysing both sexes together. However, in sex specific analyses significant associations between duration of exclusive breastfeeding and both total and LDL cholesterol (adjusted regression coefficient (r) per 30 days = 0.12 mmol/l (95% CI 0.04–0.20) P = 0.004 for total cholesterol and adjusted r per 30 days = 0.10 mmol/l (95% CI 0.02–0.18) P = 0.016 for LDL cholesterol) were seen for women with no significant associations observed in men. Significant interactions between duration of exclusive breastfeeding and sex were seen for total and LDL cholesterol (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively) with a near-significant interaction for HDL cholesterol (P = 0.06). In all cases, greater increases in cholesterol with increasing duration of exclusive breastfeeding were seen for women than for men. In conclusion, the association between breastfeeding and adult cholesterol levels differs between men and women and in women remains a significant association even after adjustment for potential confounders. However, our findings may not reflect the situation in younger generations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all the Thousand Family study members for taking part in this study, study teams past and present, and the various funding bodies that have contributed to funding this study since its’ inception.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Society, Sir James Spence Institute, Newcastle University, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK

    Mark S. Pearce

  2. Institute of Human Genetics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Caroline L. Relton

  3. Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics and Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

    Louise Parker

  4. Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Nigel C. Unwin

Authors
  1. Mark S. Pearce
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  2. Caroline L. Relton
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  3. Louise Parker
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  4. Nigel C. Unwin
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Correspondence to Mark S. Pearce.

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Pearce, M.S., Relton, C.L., Parker, L. et al. Sex differences in the association between infant feeding and blood cholesterol in later life: the Newcastle thousand families cohort study at age 49–51 years. Eur J Epidemiol 24, 375–380 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-009-9344-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-009-9344-9

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