When the Human Genome Project released its first “draft” in 2000, many scientists believed it would revolutionize medical research. President Bill Clinton claimed that genetic diagnosis (the ability to tell who has a disease after looking at the genes) would “revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases.”Although the ability to map the human genome has great promise, a decade later it still hasn’t yielded good methods for diagnosing cancer. Even more disappointing: recent scandals and severe product flaws have cast doubt on gene-based research as a whole.
Read More »Preventing Disease & Staying Healthy
We all know that it’s good to exercise, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and get a good night’s sleep. But it’s hard to change our habits, especially if we don’t have persuasive proof that it will improve our lives and health.
The National Center for Health Research is constantly reviewing new research to determine what we can do that will prevent diseases and keep us healthy.
Excellent research is being conducted to learn exactly what kinds of foods and exercise will help you prevent specific diseases, and what exposures to avoid in your daily life. The results are sometimes confusing because new products to prevent diseases are aggressively advertised, whether they work or not. Sometimes the best strategies are ones that don’t cost anything – but who is going to pay to advertise those?
We cut through the hype. We scrutinize new research, and call the researchers to learn even more. Then we translate it into plain language that you can understand.
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. →
If you’re looking for information about how to prevent cancer, go to our Cancer Prevention and Treatment web site at www.stopcancerfund.org . If you don’t see what you’re looking for on any health topic, contact us through our online health helpline at info@center4research.org. We’ll try to get the information you need within a few days.
Babies’ Eating Habits And Childhood Obesity
Research finds no link between childhood obesity and the timing of the introduction of solid food for breastfed babies. Formula-feeding, however, does not have the same result. Formula-fed babies are much more sensitive to when they first began eating solid food.
Read More »Procrit, Aranesp, and Epogen All Risk and No Benefits for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease?
Anemia drugs are widely used by patients on chemotherapy and patients with chronic kidney disease, but there is growing evidence that the misuse of these drugs is harming many patients. The FDA issued a “safety communication” on June 24, 2011 recommending lower doses of anemia drugs for patients with chronic kidney disease. This warning was based on studies showing increased risk of stroke, blood clots, other cardiac
Read More »Unnecessarily Invasive Breast Biopsies
A study by physicians at the University of Florida has found that doctors are performing unnecessarily high numbers of open surgical biopsies, instead of biopsy procedures that are as effective but less invasive.
Read More »Dating Violence: What Everyone Needs to Know.
Think dating violence can’t happen to you? Dating violence usually starts with words, and it can happen to anyone. Nearly one-third of all women between 18-24 have experienced dating violence. This free pamphlet explains the warning signs and explains how to avoid escalating problems in a relationship. It can help you avoid dating violence or get out of an abusive relationship.
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