People who smoke and vape are less able to break free of their nicotine addiction than folks who only have one of those habits, a new review concludes. Instead, these “dual users” are more likely to eventually drop vaping and continue smoking tobacco, results show. The findings point to the insidious pull of nicotine and undermine arguments that vaping can help people quit smoking, researchers said. “While it may have been argued that heavy smokers might benefit from dual use by reducing their daily cigarette consumption, the high nicotine content of vapes adds to the risk of continued nicotine addiction,” said investigator Josef Hamoud, a research assistant with the University Medical Center Gottingen in Germany. For the study, published Dec. 3 in the journal Open Research, his team analyzed data from 16 previous studies of vaping and smoking. The studies included more than 9,300 people, including more than 2,400 dual users. “Given the extensive marketing of vapes as healthier alternatives to conventional smoking, they have gained popularity among people trying to quit smoking,” Hamoud said in a journal news release. “Some people are using them in addition to their conventional cigarettes, classifying them as dual users.” But just 24% of dual users quit nicotine completely within two years, compared with 25% of people who only smoke and 35% of people who only vape, researchers found.…  read on >  read on >

Pop music legend Elton John says that he can no longer see following an eye infection he battled last summer. The prolific singer-songwriter made the announcement Sunday at a charity gala performance of “The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical,” a theater production he scored. “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews, because as you know, I’ve lost my eyesight, so it’s hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it — and boy, it sounded good tonight,” the artist said while speaking onstage, according to a video posted by Storyful. In November, John told “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts about his struggles with his vision.”I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July, because I had an infection in the south of France, and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see,” he said at the time, adding that “my left eye is not the greatest.” “There’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK, but I’m kind of stuck at the moment,” he told Roberts. “I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know.” John said he is trying whatever he can to improve his vision, but he still can’t see, watch or read anything. He added that despite his condition, he feels “lucky,” “grateful”…  read on >  read on >

Folks soon might have their brain activity scanned using a temporary tattoo, a new study suggests. This temporary scalp tattoo allowed researchers to track electrical brain activity much more easily than with conventional electrodes, researchers reported Dec. 2 in the journal Cell Biomaterials. Electronic tattoos, or e-tattoos, printed onto the scalps of five people performed just as well as electrodes at detecting brainwaves, researchers report. The e-tattoos also were easier to apply and lasted longer than an electrode array glued to the scalp, researchers found. “Our innovations in sensor design, biocompatible ink and high-speed printing pave the way for future on-body manufacturing of electronic tattoo sensors, with broad applications both within and beyond clinical settings,” said researcher Nanshu Lu, a professor of biomedical engineering with the University of Texas at Austin. Doctors use electroencephalography (EEG) to diagnose, track and treat a wide variety of illnesses, including seizures, cancer, epilepsy and brain injury. A traditional EEG test requires technicians to measure each patient’s scalp with rulers and pencils, marking more than a dozen spots where electrodes could be glued and wired, researchers said in background notes. It’s a time-consuming process, so Lu and her team decided to see whether such electrode arrays could be replaced with liquid ink e-tattoos. These tattoos contain sensors that can track electrical activity in the body. The team designed a liquid…  read on >  read on >

Blocking blood flow to the site of knee arthritis can reduce pain and potentially prevent the need for knee replacement surgery, a new study says. The procedure, called genicular artery embolization (GAE), improved patients’ quality of life by 87% and their pain by 71% at a one-year follow-up, researchers report. “Our study found that GAE can effectively reduce knee pain and improve quality of life early after the treatment, with these benefits being maintained over the long term, especially for people who haven’t had success with other treatments like physical therapy or pain medications,” said lead researcher Dr. Florian Nima Fleckenstein, an interventional radiologist at Charité – University Hospital Berlin in Germany. The genicular arteries are six leg arteries that meet to form a network around the knee joint, researchers said in background notes. These arteries are altered in patients with knee arthritis. Researchers reasoned that blocking blood flow from these arteries at the site of knee pain could help reduce inflammation, continual wear down of cartilage and the growth of new nerves that increase pain sensation. For the study, researchers performed GAE on more than 400 people ages 40 to 90 with moderate to severe knee arthritis that hadn’t responded to other treatments. The procedure involves injecting small particles into specific blood vessels to block blood flow, researchers said. Results showed that the procedure…  read on >  read on >