Recent research has shown that junk food increases the risk of asthma in children who tend to have lower risk of asthma due to breastfeeding. Earlier researches have shown that breastfeeding for more than three months lowers the risk of asthma.

Research team led by Anita Kozyrskyj, research chair in the department of pediatrics at the University of Alberta's faculty of medicine and dentistry analyzed data collected from 246 children, aged eight to 10, diagnosed with asthma, and 477 children without asthma.

Recent research revealed the importance of potassium intake in reducing blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Study also revealed that sodium-to-potassium in subjects' urine is a better indictor of cardiovascular disease than sodium or potassium alone.

Lead researcher, Dr. Paul Whelton, president and CEO of Loyola University Health System, said: "There isn't as much focus on potassium, but potassium seems to be effective in lowering blood pressure and the combination of a higher intake of potassium and lower consumption of sodium seems to be more effective than either on its own in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease."

Recent reports revealed that more and more women are taking help of tan jabs to get tanned looks. Melanotan I and Melanotan II are two types of tan jabs that increase the levels of melanin in our body, resulting in tan.

Doctors said that these injected jabs that produce a tan may be responsible for worrying changes in skin moles.

Two recent cases of women who had injected "Melanotan" shortly before noticing the problem of skin moles highlighted the risk from these tanning jabs.

Recent research revealed that wearing a face mask can offer protection against respiratory infections like influenza and the common cold. Research team led by Raina MacIntyre, professor and head of UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine studied data collected from more than 280 adults in 143 families in Sydney during the winter seasons of 2006 and 2007. The study subjects were randomly asked to wear mask during exposure to a sick child in family.

Geneva - Nearly two months after Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe declared that the cholera outbreak in his country had been "arrested" the number of dead continues to climb, passing 3,000 this week, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

As of Tuesday, 3,028 people had died and 57,702 become infected with the waterborne diarrhoeal disease.

That's 273 more dead and 9,079 more cases of infection than the last OCHA update six days ago.

A new study conducted at the John Hopkins University revealed that three conditions that often linked to obesity also have independent links with sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

The study showed that three conditions including insulin resistance, the growth of liver disease, and inactive lifestyle have direct connection with the common breathing disorder, regardless of person’s weight.

The study results will appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.