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.

Insurance Coverage Information for Breast Implant Removal

First of all, the original reason for getting your breast implants matters to health insurance companies (as well as Medicare and Medicaid). If your implants were put in after a mastectomy and your doctor believes that removing your implants is “medically necessary,” then your health insurance is legally obligated to cover your breast implant removal. Click here to learn more about your rights under the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (WHCRA). If the original reason for getting breast implants was for augmentation of healthy breasts, then some health insurance companies will cover your explant surgery if they consider the services to be “medically necessary,” but others will not.