Page 19 - Barkha Mathur

When AQI crosses 400: How toxic air damages your lungs, heart, and brain

An AQI above 400 turns the air into a slow poison. Doctors explain how invisible pollutants invade your bloodstream, trigger inflammation, and put your heart, lungs, and brain at risk

What breathing air at AQI 50 feels like for your lungs and body, explained

AQI 50, a figure Delhiites can only dream of, still isn't pure air. Doctor explains how even at this level, your body works to counter invisible pollutants

No, paracetamol use in pregnancy is not linked to autism, confirms study

Debunking Donald Trump's recent claims, a new BMJ study finds no convincing evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy raises the risk of autism or ADHD in children

Long-term melatonin use may raise heart failure risk by 90%: Study

A major global study presented at the American Heart Association's 2025 Scientific Sessions links long-term melatonin use to a 90% higher risk of heart failure and nearly double the death rate

Did you gain weight in first year of college? Here's the science behind it

A new study finds that college students often misjudge how much they eat, especially in dining halls or social settings, highlighting how environment drives calorie intake and weight gain

What myths about breast cancer could be putting your life at risk?

From bras and breastfeeding to lump anxiety and radiation fears, doctors break down the myths that stop men and women alike from getting timely breast cancer screening

Constantly tired? Doctor warns it could be iron deficiency, not stress

If you're tired all the time despite getting enough sleep, it may not be stress or age catching up with you - it could be low iron levels, says a doctor

99% of heart patients missed these silent warning signs, finds study

A new study reveals that nearly everyone who suffers a heart attack or stroke had warning signs long before, but most never noticed them

Delhi's annual battle with air pollution: Aiims issues health advisory

As Delhi's air quality plunges into 'very poor' levels post-Diwali, Aiims has issued a video advisory on how to stay safe from toxic air and limit exposure to pollution

Morning vs evening workouts: Which one helps you shed kilos faster?

Is there really a 'best time' to work out for weight loss? A cardiologist breaks down how your body's internal clock, hormones, and energy levels respond to morning vs evening exercise

Is your balcony a lung risk? Pigeon exposure can cause irreversible damage

Across balconies, rooftops, and public spaces, pigeons shed droppings and feathers that become airborne dust. Doctors say urban exposure is increasingly linked to serious, irreversible lung damage

Is your doctor too far away? Why distance may be risking your health

Patients living more than 30 kilometres from their doctor are less likely to get regular check-ups and more likely to visit emergency rooms, a new study in CMAJ warns

Delhi air pollution: Can your body get used to it? Doctors debunk myth

Feeling 'used to' Delhi's smog doesn't mean you're safe. Experts warn your lungs never adapt to pollution; they just get desensitised as long-term damage quietly builds up

Chai-sutta habit: What happens to your body when tea meets cigarette

Doctors explain how the caffeine-nicotine mix overstimulates your brain, heart, and gut, making the chai-sutta combo more addictive and harmful than it may appear

Russian teens turn to Molecule, a banned pill with deadly weight-loss risks

Marketed as a herbal weight-loss supplement, Molecule has gone viral on Russian TikTok but contains a banned drug linked to heart attacks, anxiety, and hospitalisations among teenagers

Delhi air pollution: Are marathon, cycling events in toxic air a good idea?

Doctors warn that running or cycling in Delhi's polluted air could trigger inflammation, heart irregularities, and breathing distress - and advise cancelling events when AQI exceeds 300

How will humans look by 2050 if we don't stop scrolling? AI predicts

A new AI projection by step-tracking app WeWard imagines how a sedentary, screen-obsessed lifestyle could reshape the human body - with swollen feet, curved spines and bloodshot eyes becoming the norm

Why unlicensed alternate medicines may be harming kidneys in Telangana now

A Telangana study links unlicensed herbal powders, bhasmas and tonics-often taken without supervision-to rising kidney damage, urging stricter oversight and public awareness across high-risk districts

Heat could kill 46 people per hour in South Asia by 2045, study finds

A study in the journal Tropical Medicine and Health projects that climate change could double South Asia's annual heat-related deaths to nearly 400,000 by 2045, with India and Pakistan most at risk

Covid in pregnancy linked to higher autism, speech and motor delays: Study

Children born to mothers infected with Covid-19 during pregnancy faced a 29% higher chance of developing autism, speech and motor delays by age three, a major US study finds