Table 2.
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Carotid Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease Measures by Lactation Duration Among Women with Normotensive Pregnancies
| Never lactated (n = 157) | Some lactation (n = 284) | Lactation ≥6 months (n = 133) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiometabolic risk factors | ||||
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 117 ± 18.9 | 113 ± 14.9 | 111 ± 13.4 | 0.005 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | 77.3 ± 13.3 | 74.6 ± 13.2 | 72.6 ± 11.9 | 0.006 |
| Hypertension (%) | ||||
| No hypertension | 54.3% | 66.5% | 70.6% | 0.062 |
| Stage 1 | 21.1% | 19.5% | 17.4% | |
| Stage 2 | 24.6% | 14.0% | 12.0% | |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 185 ± 44.9 | 177 ± 40.0 | 185 ± 39.0 | 0.072 |
| LDL (mg/dL) | 109 ± 34.0 | 102 ± 34.3 | 106 ± 33.7 | 0.111 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 49.6 ± 15.8 | 54.4 ± 17.3 | 59.5 ± 17.1 | <0.001 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 144 ± 233 | 102 ± 71.8 | 97.0 ± 60.9 | 0.050 |
| Glucose (mg/dL) | 103 ± 50.4 | 92.7 ± 15.9 | 95.1 ± 47.5 | 0.042 |
| Diabetes (%) | 9.0% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 0.113 |
| Carotid ultrasound | ||||
| CCA (mm) | 0.61 ± 0.09 | 0.59 ± 0.10 | 0.59 ± 0.08 | 0.061 |
| ICA (mm) | 0.55 ± 0.22 | 0.50 ± 0.12 | 0.50 ± 0.11 | 0.048 |
| Bulb (mm) | 0.62 ± 0.19 | 0.58 ± 0.14 | 0.58 ± 0.15 | 0.081 |
| Overall mean IMT (mm) | 0.60 ± 0.11 | 0.57 ± 0.08 | 0.57 ± 0.08 | 0.006 |
| AD (mm) | 6.76 ± 0.69 | 6.65 ± 0.53 | 6.51 ± 0.56 | 0.003 |
Continuous variables presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range); categorical variables presented as percentages.
AD, adventitial diameter; BP, blood pressure; CCA, common carotid artery; HDL, high density lipoprotein; ICA, internal carotid artery; IMT, intima media thickness; LDL, low density lipoprotein.