Something as simple as sitting for long periods in one posture daily is fraught with grave risks, especially for women. Such women are two to three times more likely to develop a life-threatening blood clot in their lungs than more active women, according to a new study. This is the first study to prove that a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of developing a pulmonary embolism – a common cause of heart disease. Pulmonary embolism develops … full story

Patients with HIV infection without a prior history of coronary heart disease may be at a higher risk of developing heart failure. “Heavy alcohol consumption, which is more prevalent among HIV-infected people, is also an established risk factor for heart failure,” the study authors write. Adeel A. Butt from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and colleagues analyzed data from HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected veterans enrolled in the … full story

Vegetarians have a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome — a precursor to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The symptoms are extra weight around the waist and insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the body. The Loma Linda University study found that while 25 percent of vegetarians had metabolic syndrome, the number significantly rose to 37 percent for semi-vegetarians … full story

Consuming food items rich in fibre, like fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, especially as a young adult, is likely to confer a lifetime of protection against heart risk, researchers say. A new study found that adults aged between 20 and 59 years with the highest fibre intake had a significantly lower estimated lifetime risk for heart disease compared to those with the lowest fibre intake. This is the first known study to show the influence … full story

Apples contain an antioxidant, nutrients which slowdown process of ageing and some ailments, that extends average lifespan by 10 percent, a study says. The results, obtained with fruit flies in place of humans in hundreds of research projects each year, bolster similar findings on apple antioxidants in other animal tests. Zhen-Yu Chen and colleagues from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, note that free radicals, harmful substances in the body, … full story

Women whose mothers are victims of stroke are at a far higher risk of a heart attack. Women may be more at risk of inherited forms of heart disease. In men, it tends to be triggered by lifestyle factors such as diet, drinking and smoking. Oxford University researchers looked at more than 2,200 female patients who had suffered a stroke, heart attack or angina, the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics reports. They found that a far higher … full story

Poor kidney function could be an early warning of heart disease and stroke, two studies have found. In the first study, researchers from Taiwan and the US found that a low fluid rate through the kidneys was linked to a higher risk of stroke in later life. By analysing 33 studies involving more than 280,000 people they found that those with a glomerular filtration rate (test used to check how well the kidneys are working) of about half the normal … full story

Scientists say two glasses of tomato juice a day strengthens bones and can ward off osteoporosis. The key ingredient is thought to be lycopene, the antioxidant already credited with cutting the risk of prostate cancer in men and protecting against heart disease, reports dailymail.co.uk. Osteoporosis affects around three million people in Britain and researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada asked 60 post-menopausal women, aged 50 to 60, … full story

Binge drinkers are at twice the risk of a heart attack than those who consume the same amount but spread it over a week. Researchers, led by Jean-Bernard Ruidavets from the Toulouse University in France, examined almost 10,000 healthy men aged between 50 and 59 and tracked them for 10 years. It was found that the men who “binge” drink had nearly twice the risk of heart attack or dying from heart disease compared to regular drinkers over the 10 … full story

Children who are overweight by the age of nine have greater chances of developing heart disease. By the time they are 15, they have higher blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood insulin levels than normal, which raise the chance of a premature death from heart disease. Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said the study provided more evidence that childhood obesity should be tackled earlier, the British Medical Journal reports. “We have … full story