You’ve heard the expression: “Sitting is the new smoking.” As a result, you’re seeing more sit/stand desks in offices. But prolonged standing at work also has its own health hazards says Peter Smith, a senior scientist for the Institute for Work & Health and a professor at the University of Toronto. Prof. Smith says “research has shown that prolonged standing might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s because standing too long can result in blood pooling in the legs, increased pressure in the veins and increased oxidative stress, all of which can contribute to an increased risk.” (Ironic editor's note: Saleem Khan, our editor who worked with Prof. Smith on this article, uses a sit/stand desk in The Conversation Canada newsroom.)

Have you ever gone to the hospital and had blood samples taken as a routine test? Two resident physicians – Reza Mirza of McMaster University and Justin Hall of University of Toronto – say eliminating unnecessary tests are one of the things that could improve Canada’s health care system. Read the other suggestions they put forward in a document called Five Things Residents and Patients Should Question.

And finally, Man-Wai Chu of the University of Calgary has done an in-depth analysis of Canada’s recent results in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the international assessment of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. Recent reports on PISA results suggests Canada was an “education superpower,” but Prof. Chu says a closer look reveals Canada’s “high school students’ performance has remained stagnant over the past decade.”

Regards,