Early exposure to cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood

Breast milk provides 5 to 10 times the amount of cholesterol of that of an equivalent adult. In comparison, infant formulas historically made from milk fat also brought up cholesterol to infants but in smaller quantities due to dilution with vegetable fats used to adjust intakes. This contrast breast milk/infant formula has widened over the last twenty years due to a now almost systematic use of vegetable fats in formulas marketed in Europe. Epidemiological studies comparing breastfeeding to food formulas are now sufficiently numerous to point a risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood higher in infant initially fed formulas. Animal studies, although incomplete, suggest an early programming of cholesterol metabolism related to the nature of the initial intake in that sterol. This programming is likely to sound long-term cholesterol and cardiovascular risk. Update on available data are given in this review, as well as possible ways to implement to answer the question of the importance of cholesterol intake in the neonatal period