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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.
World Cancer Day 2026: Being declared cancer-free does not always mean full recovery, as oncologists explain why life after cancer often involves lasting physical, mental and emotional effects
A Nipah vaccine developed at the University of Tokyo is set to enter human trials in April, as India reports fresh cases of the deadly virus that currently has no approved treatment
World Cancer Day 2026 marks February 4 with the theme 'United by Unique', tracing the day's history and underlining why prevention, screening and equitable access to cancer care matter worldwide
India and the US have announced a trade deal to ease tariffs. Here's how the India-US trade relationship compares with India's major partners and the world's largest trade corridors
Scientists find that even tiny prenatal exposure to bisphenol A, a common plastic chemical, can permanently feminise males and masculinise females, reshaping metabolism, immunity and disease risk
A large Swedish trial published in The Lancet suggests AI-supported mammography can detect more breast cancers earlier and reduce aggressive interval cancers, without replacing radiologists
A large UK study suggests the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet may lower chronic kidney disease risk. Here's what it found, how it works, and why your genes and surroundings may also matter
New US research links the shingles vaccine to lower inflammation and slower biological ageing in later life, suggesting adult vaccination may support healthier ageing beyond infection prevention
Google DeepMind's AlphaGenome can analyse long stretches of DNA to predict how hidden genetic changes affect gene regulation, offering new clues to cancer, heart disease and mental illness
One ministry says there's no proof air pollution kills Indians, another pegs the toll at 1.24 million deaths a year; as Delhi-NCR's air turns hazardous again, the contradiction is back in focus
Budget 2026 puts mental health, biopharma manufacturing and medical skilling at the centre, with Nimhans 2.0 and drug affordability shaping a broader healthcare realignment
Budget 2026 outlines seven high-speed rail corridors linking cities such as Mumbai-Pune and Delhi-Varanasi, aiming to cut travel time, reduce carbon emissions and support balanced regional development
Union Budget 2026: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveils Biopharma Shakti, a ₹10,000 crore, five-year plan to boost domestic biologics, biosimilars, clinical trials and regulatory capacity
Union Budget 2026 scales up capital spending to ₹12.2 trillion, keeping infrastructure at the centre of growth while signalling continued commitment to fiscal consolidation
Trauma bonding explains how unresolved emotional wounds, brain chemistry and fear-based attachment can trap people in harmful relationships that feel addictive and difficult to escape
Economic Survey 2025-26 flags rising obesity and ultra-processed food intake as risks to productivity, healthcare spending and public finances, calling for policy action beyond consumer awareness
Scientists in Spain have reported a promising pancreatic cancer breakthrough in mice, where a triple-drug therapy eliminated tumours by targeting the KRAS pathway, one of deadliest cancer mechanisms
A long-term US study tracking young adults for more than 30 years shows men develop heart disease up to a decade earlier than women, with cardiovascular risks diverging sharply from the mid-30s
A new Nature Communications study shows that a short, oat-heavy diet can cut harmful LDL cholesterol by about 10 per cent, with benefits lasting for weeks through changes in gut microbes
Infidelity has changed with technology, but its impact hasn't. Emotional, physical and digital betrayals can all trigger lasting psychological distress and health consequences, psychologists warn