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New Guidance Says Doctors Should Discuss Vaping as One Option to Help Adults Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health—but it's also one of the hardest habits to break. Many smokers make several attempts before they successfully quit, even when using medications or nicotine replacement products. Now, a panel of tobacco treatment experts is encouraging healthcare providers to expand the conversation about smoking cessation by discussing nicotine e-cigarettes as one possible option for adults who smoke cigarettes. The recommendations, published in JAMA , were developed by the Harm Reduction Work Group of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco’s Treatment Research Network. Rather than promoting vaping, the group says clinicians should focus on helping patients choose the quit-smoking method that best fits their individual circumstances. A Personalized Approach to Quitting Smoking cessation isn't the same for everyone. What works well for one person may not work for another, which is why the authors recommend mo...

Duke researchers develop patch to mend hearts


Photo: Brian Liau

Researchers at Duke University have used embryonic stem cells from mice to develop a patch that could be used in humans to repair diseased hearts. Though the living cell patch is not ready for humans, the discovery is a first step toward finding a way to mend hearts that are damaged.

The scientists grew heart cells in the lab using cardiac cells known as cardiomyocytes. A gel was used to encase the heart patch and hold it together, made from fibrin, a protein involved in blood clotting. They found that with helper cells called cardiac fibroblasts, the heart patch grows the same as in a developing heart.
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