Whether your child asks for crackers, cookies or veggies to snack on could be linked to genetics, according to new findings.

Researcher Elie Chamoun investigated whether genetic variants in taste receptors related to sweet preference, fat taste sensitivity and aversion to bitter green leafy vegetables influence the snacks chosen by preschoolers. He found that nearly 80 per cent of preschoolers in the study carried at least one of these potential at-risk genotypes that could predispose them to poor snacking habits, according to Science Daily.

Spending too much time in front of the television could increase your chance of developing potentially fatal blood clots known as venous thrombosis. Even trying to counterbalance hours of TV watching through adequate exercise is not effective warns Yasuhiko Kubota.

Kubota is the lead author of a study. Prolonged sitting can in some cases lead to blood clots because the normal circulation of blood through the legs and feet is impaired. This study focuses on the risk of developing a common and potentially fatal blood clot in the vein called venous thromboembolism (VTE). One type of VTE is known as deep vein thrombosis, where the blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs. Another serious problem is when VTE become dislodged and travel through the blood stream to block off another vein somewhere else in the body. If VTE end up in the lungs, they cause blood clots in the lungs known as pulmonary embolism (PE), according to Science Daily.

Women are twice as likely to develop fatal heart complications as men, new research warns.

The study found mental stress such as public speaking was more likely to cause myocardial ischemia, inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle, in young women who have had a heart attack compared to their male peers according to Daily Mail.  

While previous studies showed a higher heart risk from mental stress for women, it wasn't clear to what extent.

The new research, offers clearer evidence than ever that women may need more intensive care after a cardiac event than men, and mental stress may affect women's hearts more.

Yoghurt reduces the risk of a heart attack by up to 30 per cent in people with high blood pressure, new research suggests, according to Daily Mail.

Eating at least two servings of yoghurt a week lowers the risk of women with hypertension suffering a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, by up to 30 percent and men by 19 percent, a study found.

Researchers believe a combination of natural yoghurt's fermentation and calcium content benefits at-risk people's hearts.

Women who work as cleaners or regularly use cleaning sprays or other cleaning products at home appear to experience a greater decline in lung function over time than women who do not clean, according to Science Daily.

In "Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction," researchers analyzed data from 6,235 participants. The participants, whose average age was 34 when they enrolled, were followed for more than 20 years.

"While the short-term effects of cleaning chemicals on asthma are becoming increasingly well documented, we lack knowledge of the long-term impact," said senior study author Cecile Svanes, MD, PhD. "We feared that such chemicals, by steadily causing a little damage to the airways day after day, year after year, might accelerate the rate of lung function decline that occurs with age."