The CURE Index, short for Clinical Understanding of Red-light Evidence, is Helio Cure's proprietary scoring system for red light therapy research based on published human clinical trials.
For every condition we cover, the CURE Index produces a verdict of Effective, Mixed Evidence, or Not Effective, supported by a CURE Score from 0 to 100.
Higher scores mean stronger, more consistent evidence. Lower scores mean weaker or conflicting evidence.
The CURE Index is powered by AI and reviewed by the Helio Cure team.
Data at a Glance
Every verdict and CURE Score draws from this dataset of human clinical research.
Studies in our dataset (As of April 2026)
| Study Types | Count |
|---|---|
| Total Studies | 3750 |
| Randomized Controlled Trials | 1275 |
| Clinical Trials | 187 |
| Observational Studies | 1589 |
| Meta-Analyses | 314 |
| Reviews | 385 |
Outcomes (across all studies)
- Effective: 2884
- Partially Effective: 556
- Not Effective: 310
The Three Pillars Behind Every Verdict and CURE Score
Every verdict and CURE Score rests on three pillars of evidence quality: Study Strength, Evidence Volume, and Consistency.
- Study Strength: Stronger study designs carry more weight. Randomized Controlled Trials (where participants are randomly assigned to treatment or placebo) count more than clinical trials, which count more than observational studies (which only watch outcomes without active comparison). Larger participant groups and proper sham controls (a fake treatment to compare against) add credibility.
- Evidence Volume: A single positive study is a hint. Multiple high-quality studies form proof. The CURE Score weighs total evidence. The more rigorous studies that exist on a condition, the higher the confidence ceiling.
- Consistency: If most studies show benefit, confidence rises. If results conflict, with some studies effective and others not, the score is penalized. This prevents a few standout studies from overstating an unclear body of evidence.
How Studies Qualify for Scoring
Not every study makes it into the verdict and CURE Score calculations. The system applies strict inclusion and exclusion rules to ensure every score reflects comparable, primary evidence.
Included for Scoring
The Verdict and The CURE Score is calculated using three study types:
- Randomized Controlled Trials
- Clinical Trials
- Observational Studies
Excluded from Scoring
The following are filtered out to maintain data integrity:
-
Retracted Studies: Any paper flagged for data errors or ethical concerns.
-
Meta-Analyses and Reviews: These combine results from other studies. Including them would double-count the same participants across multiple papers.
- Animal Studies: The CURE Index does not score animal research.
Meta-Analyses and Reviews are excluded from verdict and CURE Score calculations but are listed on each condition page as reference material.
Understanding the Labels
The CURE Index produces two outputs for every condition: a verdict and a CURE Score. Here is what each means.
Verdict
The verdict is the bottom-line answer for a condition.
| Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|
| Effective | The body of evidence consistently shows a meaningful benefit. |
| Mixed Evidence | The evidence is unclear. Some studies show benefit, others do not. |
| Not Effective | The body of evidence consistently shows no meaningful benefit. |
CURE Score
The CURE Score is a 0-100 number that supports the verdict by measuring the strength of the evidence behind it.
| Score Range | Label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 70-100 | Strong Confidence | High-quality, consistent evidence from multiple studies. |
| 40-69 | Moderate Confidence | Promising evidence, but limited in volume or consistency. |
| 0-39 | Limited Confidence | Preliminary or conflicting evidence. |
How We Identify the Most Effective Wavelengths
For every condition, the CURE Index also identifies which wavelengths showed the strongest results across studies that worked.
The wavelength analysis follows the same rigor as the CURE Score. Only studies marked Effective or Partially Effective are counted. Reviews, meta-analyses, and retracted papers are excluded.
Each qualifying study contributes a weighted vote based on its study type. Randomized Controlled Trials count more than clinical trials, which count more than observational studies. If a study reports multiple wavelengths, the vote is split equally across them.
Wavelengths are grouped into three bands for analysis:
- Red: 600 to 700 nm
- Near-Infrared: 701 to 900 nm
- Deep Near-Infrared: 901 to 1100 nm
The wavelength with the highest total weighted votes is identified as most effective for that condition.
When no effective wavelength exists
If no study on a condition shows Effective or Partially Effective results, the CURE Index does not display a most effective wavelength. Honest reporting matters more than filling a label.
Where Our Data Comes From
Every study in the CURE Index comes from peer-reviewed medical research databases and journals.
We aggregate studies from established sources, including:
- PubMed and PubMed Central
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Major academic publishers
- Specialty and regional peer-reviewed journals
Studies are accessed through their original DOI or PubMed identifier and verified against their published source before inclusion.
How AI and Our Team Work Together
The CURE Index combines automated processing with human oversight to handle the scale of medical research.
AI handles the work that scale demands:
- Extracting study details from published papers
- Standardizing data fields like outcomes, wavelengths, and protocols
- Calculating CURE Scores using the methodology defined above
- Drafting plain-language summaries for each study
The Helio Cure team reviews this output before it appears on any condition page. Where errors are found, the data is corrected and the score recalculated.
Original studies remain the authoritative source. Our summaries are designed for clarity, not as substitutes for reading the underlying research.
What the CURE Index Does Not Claim
The CURE Index is a tool for understanding research evidence. It has clear limits, and we want you to know them.
The CURE Index is not medical advice. It does not diagnose conditions, recommend treatments, or predict outcomes for any individual. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting red light therapy.
The CURE Index is not a guarantee of results. A high CURE Score means strong evidence that red light therapy has helped people in studies. It does not promise it will work for you.
The CURE Index does not assess product quality. The score measures what published research shows about red light therapy in general. It does not evaluate any specific device, brand, or product.
The CURE Index reflects available evidence at the time of publication. Research evolves. New studies can shift the score in either direction. The Last Updated date on every condition page reflects the most recent recalculation.
The CURE Index may not include every relevant study. We rely on publicly available, peer-reviewed sources. Studies that are not indexed in our source databases, or that have not yet been published, are not included.
Updates and Corrections
The CURE Index updates over time. Scores change as new research is published, and we correct errors as they are found.
Recalculation: CURE Scores are recalculated when new qualifying studies are added to the dataset.
Corrections: If you spot an error, a misclassified outcome, an outdated study, a missing trial, or any data discrepancy, we want to know.
The CURE Index is for educational purposes only. Helio Cure does not diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting red light therapy.
For specific concerns or device recommendations, talk to our team.
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