U.S. researchers found unhappy people spend time in front of the television 30 percent more than happy people, according to media reports Sunday.

The finding, made by researchers at University of Maryland, comes from a survey of nearly 30,000 American adults conducted from 1975 to 2006.

While unhappy people spent more time in front of the TV, happy people were more socially active, voted more, read more newspapers and attend more religious services. The study found 51 percent of unhappy people were more likely to have unwanted extra time.

The lack of effort required probably accounts for why TV watching takes up more than half of Americans’ free time, the study said.

But perhaps the pleasure brought by watching television doesn’t last. “These conflicting data suggest that TV may provide viewers with short-run pleasure, but at the expense of long-term malaise,” said researcher John Robinson, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park. The study suggested that staring at the television could push out other activities such as exercise, parties and other forms of socialization known to have lasting psychological benefits.

heart disease: Chronic vitamin D deficiency may be a culprit in heart disease, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome, a new study has suggested.

The lack of sunshine during winter may diminish vitamin D levels in the body and harm cardiovascular health, according to the study conducted by researchers at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola University in Chicago.

The body needs sunshine to produce vitamin D, but that process is slowed in the winter due to less daylight and spending more time indoors, said the study.

The researchers reviewed a number of studies that linked vitamin D deficiency to heart disease. The studies said rates of severe heart disease or death may be 30 percent to 50 percent higher in sun-deprived heart disease patients.

Diet alone is not sufficient to manage vitamin D levels, said the study.

Treatment options, such as vitamin D2 or D3, may decrease the risk of severe heart disease or death. The preferred range in the body is 30-60 mg/mL of vitamin D, the study suggested. “Most physicians do not routinely test for vitamin D deficiency. However, most experts would agree that adults at risk for heart disease and others who experience fatigue, joint pain, or depression should have their vitamin D levels measured,” said study author Sue Penckofer.The news