Friday, December 26, 2025 | 07:42 PM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

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.

Email
Twitter
LinkedIn

Barkha Mathur/undefined

Health shocks of the year: What 2025 taught India about being unprepared

From unsafe medicines and rare infections to heatwaves and failing antibiotics, 2025 exposed why preparedness can no longer wait

Health shocks of the year: What 2025 taught India about being unprepared
Updated On : 26 Dec 2025 | 2:19 PM IST

Why your air fryer may be working against your health goals, doctor warns

Air fryers promise healthier cooking, but a Mumbai-based surgeon says they can undermine health goals if they create a false 'health halo' around junk food instead of balanced meals

Why your air fryer may be working against your health goals, doctor warns
Updated On : 26 Dec 2025 | 1:39 PM IST

Australia warns of fake rabies vaccines in India amid rising bite cases

Australia's immunisation advisory group says counterfeit batches of rabies vaccine Abhayrab have circulated in India since November 2023, potentially leaving bite victims unprotected

Australia warns of fake rabies vaccines in India amid rising bite cases
Updated On : 26 Dec 2025 | 1:21 PM IST

What we get wrong about menopause: Gynaecologist busts 13 persistent myths

From hot flashes and brain fog to HRT fears, sex life, weight gain and mood changes, a senior gynaecologist explains what menopause really looks like, and what science actually says

What we get wrong about menopause: Gynaecologist busts 13 persistent myths
Updated On : 26 Dec 2025 | 10:50 AM IST

From jaw pain to ED: Five overlooked symptoms your heart may be failing

Many adults dismiss jaw pain, swelling or breathlessness as lifestyle issues. A cardiologist explains why these seemingly

From jaw pain to ED: Five overlooked symptoms your heart may be failing
Updated On : 25 Dec 2025 | 2:41 PM IST

Alcohol use behind six in ten mouth cancer cases in India, study finds

A large Indian study finds no safe level of alcohol for mouth cancer risk, especially when combined with smokeless tobacco, with locally brewed drinks posing the highest danger

Alcohol use behind six in ten mouth cancer cases in India, study finds
Updated On : 25 Dec 2025 | 2:21 PM IST

Scientists edge closer to a universal cancer vaccine using nanoparticles

What if a single vaccine platform could train the immune system to prevent multiple cancers? A new nanoparti

Scientists edge closer to a universal cancer vaccine using nanoparticles
Updated On : 25 Dec 2025 | 2:00 PM IST

Heat, smog, dengue: How climate change became a health threat in 2025

As temperatures soared and weather turned erratic, India saw longer dengue seasons, heat emergencies and rising mental stress

Heat, smog, dengue: How climate change became a health threat in 2025
Updated On : 25 Dec 2025 | 9:50 AM IST

How 2025 marked a turning point for health science and innovation

From GLP-1 drugs and personalised cancer vaccines to longevity experiments and regenerative therapies, 2025 marked a year when scientific breakthroughs reshaped healthcare and medicine

How 2025 marked a turning point for health science and innovation
Updated On : 24 Dec 2025 | 3:33 PM IST

What really works for ADHD: Pills, therapy and what global evidence shows

The largest-ever review of ADHD treatments finds medicines work best in the short term, CBT helps adults, and long-term answers remain missing, forcing families and doctors to weigh benefits against h

What really works for ADHD: Pills, therapy and what global evidence shows
Updated On : 24 Dec 2025 | 12:39 PM IST

Is stress driving compulsive porn use in India? What a Nimhans study found

A Nimhans study links anxiety, stress to problematic pornography use in Indian adults, highlighting early exposure, compulsive patterns and need to address coping and mental health, not just behaviour

Is stress driving compulsive porn use in India? What a Nimhans study found
Updated On : 23 Dec 2025 | 3:16 PM IST

Why does belly fat rise after 30 even when diet and workouts stay same?

Why does belly fat creep up after 30 even if nothing has changed? A California-based gastroenterologist trained at Aiims explains the science behind it and what can help reverse it

Why does belly fat rise after 30 even when diet and workouts stay same?
Updated On : 23 Dec 2025 | 12:08 PM IST

From fibremaxxing to GLP-1s: What were India's top health trends in 2025?

From fibremaxxing and longevity clinics to GLP-1 drugs, AI hospitals and workplace mental health, 2025 reshaped how India talks about prevention, ageing and wellbeing

From fibremaxxing to GLP-1s: What were India's top health trends in 2025?
Updated On : 23 Dec 2025 | 10:47 AM IST

Why men in Delhi breathe more toxic air than women, a five-year study finds

A five-year Delhi study finds men absorb up to 1.4 times more particulate pollution than women, mainly due to outdoor time and larger lung volumes, with walking and commutes sharply raising doses

Why men in Delhi breathe more toxic air than women, a five-year study finds
Updated On : 23 Dec 2025 | 10:11 AM IST

Mounjaro and the brain: Why cravings fade at first, then return later

A rare brain-recording study found tirzepatide briefly muted activity linked to 'food noise'; months later the signals and intrusive thoughts returned, hinting at limits to its effect

Mounjaro and the brain: Why cravings fade at first, then return later
Updated On : 22 Dec 2025 | 9:51 AM IST

What we get wrong about blood pressure: Doctors bust 13 persistent myths

From stress and salt to medicines, age and alcohol, an internal medicine specialist explains why blood pressure myths can quietly harm your health

What we get wrong about blood pressure: Doctors bust 13 persistent myths
Updated On : 19 Dec 2025 | 11:46 AM IST

Do you feel time speeding up after 35? Five habits to slow ageing down

After 35, your sleep, heart, muscles and metabolism start shifting subtly. An NHS doctor shares five simple daily habits, from morning light to strength work, that can help you age better

Do you feel time speeding up after 35? Five habits to slow ageing down
Updated On : 18 Dec 2025 | 1:20 PM IST

Sudden deaths under 45: Why 'healthy-looking' can be dangerously misleading

Sudden heart deaths in 'fit-looking' adults under 45 are often linked to silent coronary artery disease. An Apollo doctor explains why it hides, what raises risk, and what checks help

Sudden deaths under 45: Why 'healthy-looking' can be dangerously misleading
Updated On : 18 Dec 2025 | 1:18 PM IST

What is an 'alcoholic personality'? Why Trump backed Susie Wiles' remark

Trump endorsed Susie Wiles' "alcoholic personality" label despite being a non-drinker. Psychiatrists explain why it is not a diagnosis, and what traits the phrase points to

What is an 'alcoholic personality'? Why Trump backed Susie Wiles' remark
Updated On : 17 Dec 2025 | 3:55 PM IST

Do electric toothbrushes really beat manual ones for plaque and gum health?

Electric brushes can cut plaque 10-20 per cent in trials, but timers, pressure sensors and technique matter more than price

Do electric toothbrushes really beat manual ones for plaque and gum health?
Updated On : 17 Dec 2025 | 3:42 PM IST