Breastfeeding is known to provide neonatal benefits; however, its long-term impact on maternal cardiovascular health, particularly in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), remains less clear. To address this gap, a follow-up analysis of the international Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study evaluated the association between breastfeeding and estimated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in 4,540 mothers aged 30.6 years. The study found that breastfeeding was reported by 79.7% of women, with similar rates among those with and without GDM (79.5% vs 81.0%).
At 10–14 years after delivery, women who breastfed had a lower estimated 10-year ASCVD risk (2.3% vs 2.5%) and 30-year ASCVD risk (6.2% vs 6.9%) compared with those who did not. The protective effect was stronger in women with prior GDM, showing greater reductions in both 10-year and…
