Whooping cough — known medically as pertussis — is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants. In the more advanced stages, it is marked by a severe, hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like “whoop.” The disease occurs in all countries. Since the introduction of a vaccine for the prevention, there has been a marked reduction in number ...

Insufficient sleep may trigger insulin resistance and reduced glucose tolerance, which increases the long-term risk of diabetes, according to a new study. Today, many Americans sleep fewer than six hours each night and individuals who report insufficient sleep have in previous studies demonstrated an increased risk of developing diabetes. This new study examined whether reduced sleep duration itself may increase the risk of developing diabetes when combined with physical inactivity and overeatin...

India is expected to be among the first few countries to develop an indigenous, injectable swine flu vaccine and the government has already invited health centres to carry out human trials, says a top health official. “We are not bothered about what is happening abroad. Our government has a plan to have indigenous vaccine by the end of this year and we will be among the first few countries to have such a vaccine to tackle the H1N1 virus,” V.M. Katoch, Secretary in the Department of Health Resear...

Hindu mythology states, every organ of the body is governed by one of the nine planets - which can have positive or negative effects. For example, the Sun is considered the Lord of the Heart. The faculty of Sanskrit and Vidya Dharma Vigyan of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) carried out a study on how the planets had an effect on the body, based on studies on some patients. They submitted the report to the University Grants Commission (UGC), on the basis of which, the UGC has awarded to the fa...