Zepbound, the new GLP-1 weight-loss drug from Eli Lilly & Co., has outperformed its main competitor, Wegovy, in a clinical trial funded by Lilly. “Given the increased interest around obesity medications, we conducted this study to help health care providers and patients make informed decisions about treatment choice,” Dr. Leonard Glass, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in an Eli Lilly news release announcing the trial results on Wednesday. “We are thrilled that today’s findings showed the superior weight loss of Zepbound, which helped patients achieve 47% more relative weight loss compared to Wegovy.” In the study, 751 obese and overweight adults across the United States were randomized to get one of the two highest doses of either Zepbound or Wegovy.  What did researchers discover? Patients who got weekly injections of Zepbound lost an average of 20.2% (50.3 pounds) of their body weight after 72 weeks, compared with an average of 13.7% body weight loss (33.1 pounds) for those on Wegovy. While this is the first randomized clinical trial comparing the two rival drugs, the findings haven’t yet been peer-reviewed, the company noted. Earlier research had shown Zepbound outperforms Wegovy for weight loss, but that research relied on existing data. Still, experts say both drugs deliver impressive results. Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist and senior medical director for the Population Health Management…  read on >  read on >

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 >