(December 23, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Chicago - According to research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, longer sleep duration is associated with a lower incidence of coronary artery calcification. In a study of nearly 500 patients, researchers observed a significant reduction in the likelihood of developing calcification with increasing sleep duration, with an extra hour of sleep decreasing the risk by 33%. Coronary artery calcification is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

From London - According to another study in JAMA, the risk of type 2 diabetes is inversely related to birth weight. In a review of 30 published studies involving over 150,000 people, researchers found that for each 1-kg increase in birth weight, the risk of type 2 diabetes was reduced by about one-fifth in most populations studied. Despite earlier suggestions to the contrary, socioeconomic status did not have an impact on the birth weight-type 2 diabetes risk association.

And finally, from Boston - According to research in the journal Circulation, excess weight and inactivity can triple a man's risk of heart failure. In a study of over 21,000 men, researchers found that those who were inactive and had a BMI greater than 30 had a nearly 300% greater risk of heart failure than active men with a BMI below 25. In other words, for a man who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, every 7 pounds of weight gain increases the risk of heart failure by 11%.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.