Abstract
Background: Physical activity (PA) and lactation benefit cardiometabolic health. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the joint associations of PA and lactation with cardiometabolic risk. Methods: We averaged PA across exams and summed lifetime lactation in Black and White parous women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Categories were created for PA (−PA: <median; +PA: ≥median) and lactation (−L: <3 months, +L: ≥3 months). Participants were assigned to one of 4 groups: −PA/−L, −PA/+L, +PA/−L, and +PA/+L (most favorable). Cardiometabolic risk factors at the year 30 exam were standardized into a risk score. We evaluated associations of groups with risk factors and risk score using linear regression. Covariates included age, race, study center, parity, education, smoking, medication use, alcohol consumption, and baseline body mass index, and diet quality. Results: The median PA was 256 exercise units and 54% reported lactation duration of ≥3 months. Of 1,068 participants, 303 were in the −PA/−L category, 231 in −PA/+L, 184 in +PA/−L, and 350 in +PA/+L. +PA/+L participants were older, had more years of education, lower body mass index, gained less weight, and less likely to be Black vs −PA/−L participants. Risk scores differed between categories except −PA/+L and +PA/−L (P = 0.08): −PA/−L: 0.23+/−0.04, −PA/+L: 0.08+/−0.04, +PA/−L: −0.02+/−0.05, and +PA/+L: −0.23+/−0.03. After adjustment, +PA/+L was associated with a lower/better risk score (β = −0.15, 95% CI: −0.25 to −0.04). Conclusions: Above average PA throughout adulthood combined with ≥3 months of lactation was associated with lower risk scores. Participants with either behavior had lower risk vs those with neither behavior. Attaining these levels of behaviors may reduce cardiometabolic risk in parous women.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 100378 |
Journal | JACC: Advances |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2023 |
Funding
CARDIA is conducted and supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (HHSN268201800005I & HHSN268201800007I), Northwestern University (HHSN268201800003I), University of Minnesota (HHSN268201800006I), and Kaiser Foundation Research Institute (HHSN268201800004I). This paper has been reviewed by CARDIA for scientific content. The analyses were supported by grants from R01DK106201 (Dr Gunderson, PI), R01DK090047 (Dr Gunderson, PI) and K01DK059944 (Dr Gunderson, PI) from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Dr Lane has received funding from the American Heart Association (18CDA34110038); and is a coinvestigator on an unrelated grant from Nutrasource (T0008C). Dr Whitaker received funding from the NHLBI (R01 HL149796). All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
Keywords
- cardiometabolic risk
- lactation
- physical activity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
- Dentistry (miscellaneous)