Medical Care for Adults

The National Center for Health Research reviews important new research as soon as it is published. We cut through the hype regarding various medical treatments to let you know what is proven and what is unknown about the risks and benefits of various treatment options. We do not accept funding from the companies that make medical products, so you can trust that our information is based on science, and not biased by financial ties to the treatments we’re evaluating.

To find the information you need, please use our search box to search for exactly what you are looking for or browse through our various topics on the right. →

Some of these articles were written this year and others were not, however, if they are on our website it means the information is up-to-date. We always scrutinize new research and call the researchers to learn even more. Then we translate it into plain language that everyone can understand.

If you’re looking for more detailed information about cancer, please go to our Cancer Prevention and Treatment website.

If you don’t see what you are looking for on any health topic, please contact us and we will try to get the information you need within a few days.

Can Vitamin D Prevent Cancer?

New research suggests that vitamin D may help women diagnosed with breast cancer to survive the disease. Can vitamin D prevent cancer?

Sientra’s Silimed Brand “Gummy Bear” Silicone Gel Breast Implants Pose Safety Questions

In December 2012, the FDA approved Sientra’s “Silimed silicone gel breast implants.” These implants are also called “gummy breast implants” because they are made of a thicker gel that is said to resemble candy gummy bears. But are they safe?

Do Patients in “High-Performing Hospitals” Live Longer?

A study of the survival rates of heart attack patients treated between 1994 and 2012 suggests that patients treated better in hospitals live longer than patients who are not treated as well. The researchers looked at short-term survival but also followed the patients for 17 years.

Antibacterial Soaps Will Be Banned by FDA: Soap and Water Is the Better Choice

The FDA announced that there is no evidence that “antibacterial” soaps prevent more infections than plain soap, and they can be harmful.

Lyme Disease: The First Sign is Not Always a Rash

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by ticks, primarily from an infected deer tick. Lyme disease infects approximately 300,000 people each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, some experts believe that the number is much higher since fewer than half will develop the bull’s-eye rash that is the well-known early sign of the disease. Lyme disease is commonly misdiagnosed when there is no bull’s eye rash. When these patients go to their doctor for other symptoms, it can take months or even years for them to be diagnosed with Lyme disease.