Cumulative duration of breast-feeding influences cortisol levels in postmenopausal women
Cumulative duration of breast-feeding influences cortisol levels in postmenopausal women
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DOI：
10.1089/15246090152563560
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发表时间：
2001-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Goodman-Gruen, D
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Lankarani-Fard, A;Kritz-Silverstein, D;Goodman-Gruen, D
皮质醇水平在怀孕期间急剧增加，在出生时达到峰值，然后下降。然而，之前的所有研究都检查了怀孕期间和产后早期的女性。没有人检查产次和哺乳与皮质醇水平的长期关联。我们研究了绝经后女性的生育史与皮质醇水平的关系。受试者为 749 名年龄在 50-89 岁之间的女性，她们在 1984-1987 年测量早晨皮质醇时没有使用雌激素。胎次与皮质醇没有显着相关。然而，母乳喂养超过 12 个月的女性的皮质醇水平显着高于母乳喂养时间较短或根本不母乳喂养的女性 (p = 0.003)。这种关联在生育三胎或三胎以上的女性中更为明显。母乳喂养的持续时间是绝经后妇女皮质醇水平的决定因素。由于皮质醇的增加和母乳喂养持续时间的增加可能在某些自身免疫性疾病（例如类风湿性关节炎）中发挥保护作用，因此我们认为哺乳对这些疾病病程的有益作用可能是由皮质醇介导的。
Cortisol levels dramatically increase during pregnancy, peak at birth, and subsequently decline. However, all previous studies examined women during pregnancy and early postpartum. None examined the long-term association of parity and lactation with cortisol levels. We examined the relation of reproductive history to cortisol levels in postmenopausal women. Subjects were 749 women, aged 50-89, who were not using estrogen in 1984-1987 when morning cortisol was measured. Parity was not significantly associated with cortisol. However, women who breast-fed for > 12 months had significantly higher cortisol levels than women who breast-fed for shorter durations or not at all (p = 0.003). This association was stronger among women with three or more births. Duration of breast-feeding is a determinant of cortisol levels in postmenopausal women. Because both increased cortisol and increased duration of breast-feeding may play protective roles in certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, we suggest that the beneficial effect of lactation on the course of these diseases may be mediated by cortisol.