Other health news in brief
Desk jobs could be a health hazard
Cushy desk jobs could be hazardous to health, a new study suggests.
Too much time spent sitting at work may double the risk of potentially dangerous blood clots in the legs or lungs, say researchers.
Being desk-bound might even pose a bigger threat of blood clots than long-haul flights, it is claimed.
The study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, involved 97 patients under the age of 65 attending a hospital outpatient clinic in New Zealand.
All had previously been admitted to hospital with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE).
A DVT is a blood clot in the legs or thighs while pulmonary embolism is a highly dangerous clot in the lungs.
Prolonged sitting at work was associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of developing DVT or PE.
People who spend large amounts of time in front of a computer should do frequent leg and foot exercises, and take regular breaks away from their desks.
Viagra may help fight heart damage
Viagra may protect the hearts of muscular dystrophy patients, a study suggests.
The anti-impotence drug was shown to reduce damage to the hearts of mice with a version of the human disease.
Scientists believe it could do the same for people afflicted with muscular dystrophy. The findings open up the possibility of Viagra being used to prevent or delay heart failure in these patients.
Muscular dystrophy is a genetic muscle-wasting condition caused by abnormal levels of dystrophin protein.
The new study conducted by Canadian and US scientists showed that the way Viagra works to combat impotence also protects the heart against muscular dystrophy damage.