A hostile personality makes you more prone to an early death from heart disease, suggests a report in The American Journal of Cardiology. In a study of patients with diseased heart arteries, younger patients with an antagonistic attitude were found to be at greater risk of dying over the next 14 years. Older patients — ie, 61 and over — were not affected in the same way.

BREATHE EASY

Pregnant women are often advised that breathing techniques will help them through labour pain, and now researchers have found that nasal strips — which were originally developed for snoring — could also help.

A study published in The American Journal of Rhinology showed that the strips improved the flow of air through the nose, which apparently helped to improve women’s “satisfaction” during labour.

THINK POSITIVE

An optimistic view may help keep you healthy after a major life stress event (such as a death or onset of severe illness in the family). A study in Health Psychology (published by the American Psychological Association) reveals that people who were optimistic took fewer sick days.

DIABETES NEWS

Patients who have long-term diabetes may experience numbness, pain and weakness in the limbs as a result of damage to the nerves. Last week the American Diabetes Assocation heard that scientists at the University of Manchester have discovered how to stimulate the patient’s own genes to prevent this nerve damage; the first phase of clinical studies is now under way.

DOCTOR’S ORDERS

Get out of your chair, it could reduce your likelihood of becoming obese. An Australian study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that the more time a man spends sitting at his desk, the more likely he is to become obese. According to researchers at Queensland University, the average time sitting was 3 hours, although 25 per cent were in their chairs for more than six hours. Men sat an average 20 minutes longer than women — this extra time seemed to make them more prone to a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or over.