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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 Pneumonia Day 2025: Doctors explain the difference between harmless coughs and those that signal pneumonia, and when to see a doctor for early treatment.
EEG scans reveal that the brain mistakes its own inner voice for an external one in people with schizophrenia, offering new insight into how auditory hallucinations arise
Cardiologist Dr Dmitry Yaranov warns that habits like poor sleep, stress, and pollution can silently damage heart health-even in those who appear fit and healthy, leading to early heart failure
A new study finds that soaking in hot water can raise core body temperature, boost heart rate and circulation, and activate the immune system more effectively than traditional saunas
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A new study reveals that nearly everyone who suffers a heart attack or stroke had warning signs long before, but most never noticed them
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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