PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Breastfeeding associated with lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis, according to new study

2014-01-07
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kirsty Doole
kirsty.doole@oup.com
44-186-535-5439
Oxford University Press
Breastfeeding associated with lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis, according to new study In a new study of over 7,000 older Chinese women published online today in the journal Rheumatology, breastfeeding – especially for a longer duration – is shown to be associated with a lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Specifically, it showed that women who had breastfed their children were around half as likely to have RA, compared to women who had never breastfed.

The beneficial effects of breastfeeding for both mother and child are widely known, but previous studies on the association between breastfeeding and RA have been mixed. This cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between RA, breastfeeding, and also use of oral contraceptives, in a population of older women from South China, where cultural habits differ from those in the West, where most previous studies were conducted.

Professor Peymane Adab and colleagues used data from 7349 women aged 50 years or older in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort. Questionnaires were used to ascertain sociodemographic history, disease and lifestyle history, obstetric history, breastfeeding history, and history of use of oral contraceptives. The women were also asked whether they had been diagnosed with RA, and were examined by a trained nurse to check their joints for any swelling or tenderness that may indicate RA.

The women were asked about whether they had ever been pregnant, the number of live births, and for each child they were asked to recall whether they had breastfed, and if so, for how many months. They were also asked whether they had used the contraceptive pill, the age at which they began taking it, and for how long they took it. The majority of women had had at least one live birth, and of these, over 95% had breastfed their children for at least one month. Only 11% had ever used the contraceptive pill, and mostly for short duration. The mean age for first pregnancy was 24 years, and the mean age for diagnosis of RA was 47.5 years.

Among women who had at least one live birth, and after adjusting for potential confounding factors, those who had ever breastfed were around half as likely to have RA. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant trend of decreasing risk of RA with increasing duration of breastfeeding. Further adjustment for parity did not alter the direction or size of the effect. There was no relationship between the use of the contraceptive pill and RA.

This is the first study to demonstrate a link between breastfeeding and lower risk of RA in a Chinese population, where breastfeeding was common practice and more prevalent than in many Western populations. This study was based on a large population sample in the community, rather than being drawn from secondary care. As data were part of a larger study, the researchers were able to adjust for many potential confounding factors.

The researchers note that the association found in this study has potentially important implications for future RA disease burden, saying: "Women who took part in this study were born in the 1940s and 1950s, before China's one-child policy was introduced in the late 1970s, and at a time when breastfeeding was more prevalent. The consequent decline in breastfeeding supports the need for prospective studies to examine whether there will be a higher incidence of RA in the future.

"More importantly, replication of the association between breastfeeding and lower risk of RA in a different population reinforces the need for further research to understand the hormonal mechanisms involved in the onset of RA."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

No 'brakes' -- Study finds mechanism for increased activity of oncogene in certain cancers

2014-01-07
No 'brakes' -- Study finds mechanism for increased activity of oncogene in certain cancers PITTSBURGH, Jan. 6, 2014 – The increased activation of a key oncogene in head and neck cancers could be the result of mutation and dysfunction of regulatory ...

'Ardi' skull reveals links to human lineage

2014-01-07
'Ardi' skull reveals links to human lineage The new work expands the catalogue of anatomical similarities linking humans, Australopithecus, and Ardipithecus on the tree of life TEMPE, Ariz.—One of the most hotly debated issues in current human origins research focuses on ...

Suburban sprawl cancels carbon footprint savings of dense urban cores

2014-01-07
Suburban sprawl cancels carbon footprint savings of dense urban cores Interactive maps of US metro areas shows striking differences between cities and suburbs According to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, population-dense ...

UW-Madison researchers link protein with breast cancer's spread to the brain

2014-01-07
UW-Madison researchers link protein with breast cancer's spread to the brain MADISON—A cancer-research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has identified a protein that may be a major culprit when breast cancer metastasizes to the brain. Brain ...

When danger is in the eye of the beholder

2014-01-07
When danger is in the eye of the beholder UCLA anthropologists study how, why we read into potential peril They went boating alone without life vests and gave no thought to shimmying up very tall coconut trees. And although they were only ...

Novel 'attract-and-kill' approach could help tackle Argentine ants

2014-01-07
Novel 'attract-and-kill' approach could help tackle Argentine ants UC Riverside entomologists devise a technique that involves mixing a synthetic pheromone in insecticide sprays RIVERSIDE, Calif. — After being inadvertently introduced in the United States ...

RAMBO a small but powerful magnet

2014-01-07
RAMBO a small but powerful magnet Rice University system allows high-magnetic-field experiments on a tabletop HOUSTON – (Jan. 6, 2014) – Rice University scientists have pioneered a tabletop magnetic pulse generator that does the work of a room-sized machine – and more. The ...

Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells

2014-01-07
Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells Researchers had known for several decades that a certain chemical modification exists on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is essential to the flow of genetic information. But only recently ...

Personal health record associated with improved medication adherence

2014-01-07
Personal health record associated with improved medication adherence Patients also saw improved cholesterol levels OAKLAND, Calif. — Patients with diabetes who used an online patient portal to refill medications increased their medication adherence and improved ...

Worker wasps grow visual brains, queens stay in the dark

2014-01-07
Worker wasps grow visual brains, queens stay in the dark Paperwasps in different castes develop different-sized sensory brain structures PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 6, 2014)— A queen in a paperwasp colony largely stays in the dark. The worker wasps, who fly outside to seek food and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices

New insights into melanoma plasticity uncover a critical role of iron metabolism

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

[Press-News.org] Breastfeeding associated with lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis, according to new study