Scientists reviewing medical records at the University of Nebraska Medical Center noticed that a number of women developed chest pains while vacuuming the house. Could vacuuming bring on a heart attack? To find out, the researchers studied the hearts of 50-year-old female volunteers as they pushed around a variety of vacuum cleaners.

Three of the vacuums, a heavy-duty upright, a lightweight upright and a compact canister (all without a power-assist option) required the most effort to move, making the women's hearts work harder to pump blood to working muscles. Doctors noticed the increase in myocardial oxygen demand and suggested it could put an already compromised heart at risk.

If you are feeling breathless or exhausted while vacuuming, changing bed linens or doing chores that used to be easy, call your doctor. It may be a sign of a heart problem.