AdvantageCare Physicians Chief of Cardiology Leads New JAMA Report Establishing Link Between Breastfeeding and Lower Risk of Maternal Diabetes and Hypertension

Analysis of prior data from more than 200,000 mothers consistently demonstrated protective benefit of breastfeeding

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Dec 02, 2019, 09:30 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AdvantageCare Physicians (ACPNY), one of New York's largest primary and specialty care practices, announces its Chief of Cardiology Haitham Ahmed is the senior author of a newly published report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Open Network investigating the connection between lactation and maternal cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for women around the world. The analysis examines four previous studies investigating the connection between lactation and diabetes and five previous studies investigating the connection between lactation and high blood pressure. Investigators found breastfeeding for more than 12 months was associated with a relative risk reduction of 30% for maternal diabetes and 13% for hypertension.

Dr. Ahmed recently joined ACPNY from the Cleveland Clinic. He brings years of experience in preventive cardiology and is focused on further integrating the cardiology department into ACPNY's care model, which focuses on primary care, care coordination and population health.

"We know that pregnancy is a challenging physiological state for the mother, associated with adverse metabolic profiles and insulin resistance, which makes the relative risk reduction of diabetes and hypertension particularly relevant," said Dr. Ahmed. "Breastfeeding is a low risk intervention with long-term maternal benefits, and these findings underscore the need for further education, societal resources and social assistance to ensure more mothers are able to breastfeed successfully.

ACPNY is committed to improving health outcomes for its patients and communities through wellness, prevention and coordination of care. Findings such as those in this study reflect the importance of prevention through education, establishing healthy behaviors before chronic conditions develop. The practice remains deeply rooted in population health and through Dr. Ahmed's experience and leadership, will drive research and innovation as a leader in cardiology in the New York area.

More details about the findings can be accessed by clicking here.

About AdvantageCare Physicians
AdvantageCare Physicians, one of the largest primary and specialty care practice in the New York area, provides quality, personalized care that is focused on the whole patient. With medical offices across the five boroughs and Long Island, AdvantageCare Physicians takes a team-based approach to care where physicians work with nurses, social workers, nutritionists, behavioral health specialists and other professionals. www.ACPNY.com.

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