Barkha Mathur
 "Barkha Mathur")
Barkha Mathur
Barkha Mathur leads health coverage for the Business Standard website. She reports on the intersection of medicine, policy, and health science, with a focus on stories that impact readers’ physical and mental well-being. When not tracking the latest developments in health, she’s often reading medical research or listening to hip-hop.
Barkha Mathur leads health coverage for the Business Standard website. She reports on the intersection of medicine, policy, and health science, with a focus on stories that impact readers’ physical and mental well-being. When not tracking the latest developments in health, she’s often reading medical research or listening to hip-hop.
Barkha Mathur
From hugs to food to tattoos: Debunking 16 dangerous myths about HIV
From casual contact and mosquito bites to tattoos, pregnancy, PrEP, and treatment, specialists debunk the misconceptions that fuel stigma and delay diagnosis
 "From hugs to food to tattoos: Debunking 16 dangerous myths about HIV")
Delhi air pollution toll: Over 200,000 emergency visits in past 3 years
Parliament data and an ICMR multi-city study show pollution spikes tracking a surge in Delhi breathing emergencies, with over 200,000 ER visits since 2022 and admissions rising
 "Delhi air pollution toll: Over 200,000 emergency visits in past 3 years")
Are you the eldest daughter? A psychologist explains why it feels heavy
As 'eldest daughter syndrome' trends online, psychologists unpack the real dynamics behind it, from early caregiving and perfectionism to burnout, guilt and people-pleasing
 "Are you the eldest daughter? A psychologist explains why it feels heavy")
Why we keep smoking despite knowing the damage it does to our health
Smoking is not just a bad habit, doctors say; it is nicotine, stress relief, routine and brain conditioning working together, which is why quitting can feel far harder than it looks
 "Why we keep smoking despite knowing the damage it does to our health")
Your brain resets at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83: Study maps life's neural shifts
A new Nature Communications study finds brain ageing isn't linear, with key network 'turning points' at 9, 32, 66 and 83 that mark distinct phases from childhood to late life
 "Your brain resets at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83: Study maps life's neural shifts")
How heavy metals in polluted air trigger fatigue, headaches and brain fog
Beyond PM2.5 and PM10, polluted air carries neurotoxic metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium that inflame the brain, disrupt energy pathways and trigger fatigue and fogginess on high-AQI days
 "How heavy metals in polluted air trigger fatigue, headaches and brain fog")
Eldest, middle, or youngest: Does birth order shape who you finally become?
Does being the firstborn, middle child or youngest shape personality? Psychologists say effects are small, while culture, parenting styles and sibling roles matter far more
 "Eldest, middle, or youngest: Does birth order shape who you finally become?")
Can HIV be cured? New research shows long-term remission may be closer
Early trial results show that combining antibodies and T-cells helped some people living with HIV maintain viral control for months without daily ART, raising cautious hope for long-term remission
 "Can HIV be cured? New research shows long-term remission may be closer")
How soon HIV symptoms appear, and why most people don't notice them
Health agencies warn that HIV begins replicating within hours of exposure and is most infectious in the first weeks, even when there are no symptoms or only mild, flu-like signs
 "How soon HIV symptoms appear, and why most people don't notice them")
World AIDS Day 2025: Theme, history, significance, facts you need to know
As the world marks World AIDS Day 2025, the focus is on transforming the HIV response through stronger funding, inclusive care and renewed commitment to ending AIDS by 2030
 "World AIDS Day 2025: Theme, history, significance, facts you need to know")
Birth control in HIV: What women can safely use and what doctors warn about
HIV-positive women have several safe birth-control options, but viral load, ART interactions, treatment stability still guide what doctors recommend for reliable contraception and partner protection
 "Birth control in HIV: What women can safely use and what doctors warn about")
World AIDS Day 2025: India halves new HIV cases, AIDS deaths drop over 80%
India's latest HIV report shows sharp declines in new infections, AIDS-related deaths and mother-to-child transmission, reflecting expanding testing, treatment and stronger public health systems
 "World AIDS Day 2025: India halves new HIV cases, AIDS deaths drop over 80%")
Sonali Bendre says autophagy helped her cancer recovery. Doctors disagree
Sonali Bendre credited autophagy for aiding her recovery from metastatic cancer, but doctors warn the cell-recycling process triggered by fasting is not a treatment and cannot kill cancer cells
 "Sonali Bendre says autophagy helped her cancer recovery. Doctors disagree")
What alcohol does to your body in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond
As metabolism slows and disease risks rise with age, doctors explain how the same drink affects your brain, hormones, liver and long-term health very differently across decades
 "What alcohol does to your body in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond")
ChatGPT may soon show ads as OpenAI tests monetisation model: Reports
A recent leak from ChatGPT's Android beta app, along with public signals from OpenAI's Sam Altman, points to the company preparing for an advertising-supported version of its AI assistant
 "ChatGPT may soon show ads as OpenAI tests monetisation model: Reports")
Screens, carrots and cataracts: Experts bust common myths about eye health
From screen distance and spectacle numbers to cataracts, eye drops, and make-up, specialists bust the misconceptions that harm vision and delay treatment
 "Screens, carrots and cataracts: Experts bust common myths about eye health")
Spicy food may burn your mouth, but your brain still craves it. Here's why
Spicy food sets your mouth on fire and speeds up your heartbeat, yet people worldwide love it. A gastroenterologist explains why discomfort turns into pleasure, reward and craving
 "Spicy food may burn your mouth, but your brain still craves it. Here's why")
Insulin without needles: Can a simple skin cream replace injections?
A breakthrough Nature study shows that a specially engineered polymer can carry insulin through the skin, lowering blood sugar in animals and raising hopes of a painless, needle-free diabetes treatmen
 "Insulin without needles: Can a simple skin cream replace injections?")
Good old kalonji may help control fat and cholesterol, says new study
A new clinical trial shows that kalonji, long used in Indian kitchens, may help lower cholesterol and slow fat formation, offering a natural metabolic boost alongside regular diet and lifestyle habits
 "Good old kalonji may help control fat and cholesterol, says new study")
Is excessive chewing hurting your spine and posture? Orthopaedists explain
From jaw fatigue to neck stiffness, orthopaedists explain how continuous chewing places stress on the jaw-neck chain and may affect long-term spinal comfort and alignment
 "Is excessive chewing hurting your spine and posture? Orthopaedists explain")
