Pandiyan’s Musings — Reflections on Health, Life & Learning

Safe Drug – An Oxymoron? Why fewer medicines may sometimes be the best medicine of all We often use the phrase “safe drug” casually — to reassure patients, doctors, and even ourselves. But pause and reflect: Is a safe drug truly possible? Or is the phrase itself an oxymoron? A drug, by definition, alters physiology. If it did not change normal biological function, it would have no therapeutic valu...

I left Chennai on September 29, 1985, for a Commonwealth Scholarship in Reproductive Medicine at Nottingham. My departure was a chaotic race to the airport against political rallies, severing me from my pregnant wife and young son with a hurried, incomplete goodbye. The journey was a trial. A packed, smoke-filled flight magnified my isolation, anchored by my veganism and teetotalism. London’s firs...

The Anti-Burnout Prescription: 56 Years in Medicine — Part 2 Burnout is often seen as a slow leak. But what if immense pressure leaves no room for the leak to start? My first five faculty years tested every fibre and launched my global career. The 21-Hour Crucible (Chennai, 1980–1985) I joined a globally busy maternity hospital. Life was extremes: morning duties, then a 21-hour weekly labour room...

The Unjustified Hype Around “Designer Babies” The phrase designer baby evokes powerful images — parents selecting intelligence, beauty, athletic prowess, or musical genius as if choosing from a catalogue. Popular media, science fiction, and sensational headlines have fueled this belief. The reality is far less dramatic — and far more grounded. Despite the hype, designer babies, in the true sense o...

We banned smoking in public places after accepting an uncomfortable truth: what an individual chooses to inhale does not remain a purely personal choice when it harms others. Science forced our hand, and society complied — slowly, reluctantly, but decisively. Alcohol now stands at the same crossroads. And yet, we hesitate. Alcohol: A Carcinogen, Not a Lifestyle Choice There is no longer room for a...

The Anti-Burnout Prescription: 56 Years in Medicine Without a Single Burnout or Dropout By Professor Dr Pandiyan Natarajan Burnout is often seen as an unavoidable outcome of ambition. We seek balance, escapes, and digital detoxes as if survival requires stepping away from our work. My story is different. Across 56 years in medicine, in some of the busiest hospitals in India, I have not experienced...

The Mess Around Menopausal Hormone Therapy Professor Dr. Pandiyan Natarajan Professor of Andrology and Reproductive Sciences (Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is based on a synthesis of current medical evidence and expert opinion. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please discuss your health care plan and any concerns with your qualified healthca...

The Electronic Fetal Monitoring Paradox — Why It’s Time to Rethink the Routine (Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please discuss your birth plan with your healthcare provider.) For decades, the rhythmic sound of a baby’s heartbeat on an electronic fetal monitor (EFM) has been the soundtrack of modern childbirth. Most parents a...

Testosterone therapy for peri menopausal women — Is it a cause for celebration or a cause for concern? Subheading — Testosterone for Women: A Medical Miracle or a Slippery Slope? Disclaimer : The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice...

Male Menopause is a Myth: An Andrologist’s 40-Year Perspective on Testosterone and Aging After four decades as andrologist, I have witnessed the rise of a dangerous misconception: “male menopause” or andropause. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) clinics promise restored youth & vitality, but the truth is simple — male menopause does not exist. The Critical Difference True menopause is a u...

Is the Male Fertility Crisis Real — or Just a Numbers Game? You have read headlines warning of a crisis in male fertility, with reports of sperm counts halving over last few decades. But does this mean men are actually less fertile today, or are we simply getting lost in a “numbers game?” Sperm Counts: What Do They Really Tell Us? The main way to check male fertility is by semen analysis — a test...

Daylight Saving Time — A Futile Exercise Against Nature and Logic “Time and tide wait for no one,” goes the old saying. Yet, human beings have repeatedly tried to defy both — and in the process, have made time itself a victim of our misplaced ingenuity. Press enter or click to view image in full size A Century-Old Relic Daylight Saving Time was introduced over a century ago, first in Europe and th...

For centuries, the timeline of motherhood was largely dictated by nature. Today, it’s a landscape of conflicting pressures. The human body has not changed with changing socio-cultural milieu. A woman’s fertility, peaks in her twenties, faces a significant decline by her mid-30s. This is an unyielding biological fact. Yet, simultaneously, the age of marriage & childbearing has progressively inc...

The Unforgiving Clock: A Biological Perspective on Age, Reproduction, and Modern Dilemmas We are in a race against our own biology, and understanding the science is the first step to making informed choices. Let us begin with a few fundamental truths, as seen through the lens of biology. All life is connected. Life begets life. We, Homo sapiens, are but one branch on the vast, intricate tree of ev...

Reproduction For decades, public health discussions centered on controlling fertility — contraception, family planning, and population policies. But there’s another, quieter side of reproduction — infertility. While millions try not to conceive, millions of others struggle because they can’t. The World Health Organization defines infertility as a disease of the reproductive system. It is often tre...

Success is a journey, not the destination. The path continues beyond the peak. We are all taught how to handle failure. We learn to rise when we fall, to correct mistakes, to be resilient. Entire volumes are devoted to grit, perseverance, and recovery. Yet very few ever teach us how to handle success. And paradoxically, success can be harder to manage than failure. Success brings light — recogniti...

Disclaimer: This is an opinion podcast for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Readers should consult their healthcare providers before making any decisions about diagnosis or treatment. What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis happens when tissue like the lining of the womb (uterus) grows in places it does not belong — like on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or other p...

Disclaimer: This is an opinion podcast for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Listeners should consult their healthcare providers before making any decisions about diagnosis or treatment. Fertility Add-Ons: Hope, Hype, and Hard Truths Quick Look : Add-ons are optional extras in IVF promising better success. Most lack strong evidence for improving live birth rates and...

Disclaimer: This is an opinion article for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Readers should consult their healthcare providers before making any decisions about diagnosis or treatment. Introduction. For decades, doctors, policymakers, & the public have relied on one simple calculation to assess health: the Body Mass Index (BMI).. But does this number really tell...

PCOS is an Epiphenomenon Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), the commonest endocrine disorder in women, affects fertility, metabolism, & quality of life. It is portrayed as a primary disease of the ovaries, where follicles do not mature, ovulation becomes irregular, & multiple cysts appear on ultrasound. Is this the full story? Our research over the past decade challenges this traditional vi...

This is not medical advice. This is food for thought. Please discuss with your doctor before making any change in your food & lifestyle. The escalating global incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) over the past five decades directly correlates with the parallel rise in overweight and obesity, forming an intertwined epidemic termed "diabesity." This review argues that the primary driver...