title: Breastfeeding effects on visfatin levels in postpartum women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of breastfeeding on the change of visfatin levels in postpartum women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine postpartum women were enrolled into the study. All measurements were completed at the 2(nd) and 16(th) week postpartum. Women who had been continuously breastfeeding (10 women), those who had never breastfed (9 women) and those who had breastfed for a short period of time but then ceased (10 patients) were enrolled into the study. Serum levels of insulin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and visfatin were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the continuously breastfeeding group, the women at the 16-week point had higher levels of visfatin (14.5 ± 4.1, 17.0 ± 5.1 ng/mL; p = 0.001). In the never breastfed group, the women at the 16-week point had higher levels of visfatin (22.6 ± 3.9, 19.1 ± 3.0 ng/mL; p = 0.005). The visfatin levels in the breastfed but ceased group were found to not be significantly different between the two test points (13.3 ± 2.5, 13.4 ± 2.5 ng/mL; p = 0.815). Regarding the association between serum visfatin and markers of lipid metabolism, significant correlations were found between visfatin and hemoglobin A1c (r = -0.425, p = 0.022) at the 2-week point and triglycerides (r = -0.387, p = 0.038) at the 16(th) week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuous breastfeeding for at least 16 weeks could induce increasing visfatin levels. The findings of our study might shed light on the necessity of further exploration of the mechanisms through which lactation may influence the occurrence of diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Public Health, School of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: tefu.chan@msa.hinet.net.
authors.forename: Te-Fu
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; D014280:Triglycerides; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: breastfeeding; diabetes; visfatin