Last reviewed August 2026. VitalSignsReview is an independent, evidence-based health publication.
Our Mission
VitalSignsReview exists to do one thing well: take real, peer-reviewed health research and translate it into clear, accurate, everyday language — without the hype, the fear-mongering, or the marketing spin that fills most of the health internet.
We are, in plain terms, an evidence-based health journalism project. We report on what published science actually found, we link you to the original source every time, and we tell you honestly when the evidence is strong, mixed, or thin.
What We Do — and What We Don’t
We do read primary sources (NIH, CDC, Mayo Clinic, peer-reviewed journals like The Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, and SLEEP Advances), summarize their findings in accessible language, and cite them with clickable links so you can verify everything yourself.
We don’t diagnose, prescribe, or give personalized medical advice. We’re science communicators, not physicians — and we’re transparent about that. The value of our work comes from the accuracy of our reporting and the quality of the sources we cite, not from any claim of clinical authority. For anything concerning your own health, your doctor is the right person to talk to.
Our Editorial Standard
Every factual health claim on this site traces back to a real, verifiable source, linked in the article. If we can’t source a claim to credible research, we don’t publish it. When studies disagree, we say so rather than picking the version that makes a better headline. You can read the details in our Editorial Policy.
Who’s Behind VitalSignsReview
Rick Gonçalves — Editor
Rick leads the editorial curation and science-communication work behind VitalSignsReview. His background is in business and marketing (Bachelor’s in Business Administration, postgraduate work in Marketing, and an MBA), and his role here is editorial: finding credible research, checking it against the original sources, and turning complex studies into something a non-specialist can actually use. Rick is not a medical professional, and nothing on this site should be read as coming from one.
“Rick Gonçalves” is an editorial pen name used to protect the founder’s personal privacy — a common practice in digital publishing. Our credibility doesn’t rest on one person’s identity; it rests on the transparency of our sources and the accuracy of our reporting. We explain this fully on our Transparency page.
A Note on Trust
You should never have to take our word for anything. That’s the point of linking every source: so you can check it. If you ever find an error, tell us — we correct mistakes openly. See our Editorial Policy for how we handle corrections, and our Medical Disclaimer for the important limits of what this content is.
Questions or feedback? Reach us any time through our Contact page.
How We Research and Fact-Check Every Article
Every article on VitalSignsReview follows the same process:
- Start with primary research. We locate the actual study or authoritative guidance — not a press release or another site’s summary.
- Read the source, not the headline. We check what a study really measured, in whom, and how strong its design is.
- Report the strength honestly. We distinguish a large randomized trial from a small observational study, and we say plainly when evidence is preliminary, mixed, or weak.
- Link everything. Every factual claim carries a clickable citation so you can verify it yourself.
- Add the caveats. Most articles end with an honest “bottom line” that spells out the limits — what the science does not say.
How We Weigh the Evidence
Not all studies carry equal weight, and we treat them accordingly. In rough order of strength, we rely on:
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool many studies.
- Randomized controlled trials, the gold standard for testing cause and effect.
- Large prospective cohort studies for long-term associations.
- Guidance from authoritative bodies such as the NIH, CDC, American Heart Association, and American Diabetes Association.
Smaller or preliminary studies are reported as exactly that — interesting early signals, not settled conclusions.
How We’re Funded (and Why It Doesn’t Bias Us)
VitalSignsReview is reader-supported through optional Ko-fi contributions, and may in the future display advertising or clearly disclosed affiliate links. Our editorial decisions — what we cover and what we conclude — are made independently of any funding. We never let a sponsor, advertiser, or affiliate relationship change what the science says.