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Weight-loss surgery can sharply reduce the risk of diabetes in very obese people, a new study finds. The study included more than 3,400 obese people. Just under half of them had so-called bariatric surgery to help weight loss. These procedures reduce the size of the stomach, bypass part of the colon or both. The other people in the study did not have surgery. They just received usual care and advice on weight loss. Nobody had diabetes when the study began. Within 10 years, 110 people in the surgery group developed diabetes. This compares with 392 people in the other group. The diabetes rate was 78% lower for those who had surgery. Two studies released this year showed that weight-loss surgery could reverse diabetes. This study showed that it also could help prevent the disease.

Comedian Rosie O’Donnell told her fans this week that she is “lucky to be here” after not recognizing signs of a heart attack. O’Donnell wrote on her blog August 20 about nausea, aches and other symptoms the week before. She said she did an online search for “women’s heart attack symptoms” and was concerned enough to take aspirin. This can help to prevent blood clots that cause heart attacks. But O’Donnell did not go to the emergency room. She went to see a cardiologist the next day. O’Donnell said one of her arteries was 99% blocked. Doctors inserted a stent, a small tube, to open the artery. She urged her female fans to know the symptoms of heart attacks and not ignore them if they occur. The Associated Press wrote about O’Donnell’s illness.

A doctors’ group has revised its guidelines on thyroid treatments during and after pregnancy. The Endocrine Society produced the new guidelines. There are 52 of them, covering before, during and after pregnancy, as well as during breastfeeding. The guidelines say that women who are trying to get pregnant and have any history of thyroid problems should be tested for normal thyroid function. The society also said that pregnant women take prenatal vitamins containing 150 to 200 micrograms of iodine. And women who are breastfeeding should take 250 micrograms of iodine every day. These doses protect women and their babies from iodine deficiency. That can lead to an imbalance of thyroid hormone. This hormone is crucial for fetal brain development. The new guidelines update a 2007 version. They were published in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

A new test could help emergency departments rule out (or rule in) heart attacks faster, according to a new study. The test is called high-sensitivity cardiac troponin. It detects cardiac enzymes called troponins. High troponin levels in the blood are a sign of damage or injury to the heart. And this could signal heart attack. The Swiss study took place from April 2006 to June 2009. It examined close to 900 patients who visited the ER with chest pain. Half of the patients were evaluated using the new testing method. That new method included gauging the troponin level when they arrived and then again an hour later. Using this method, the researchers ruled out heart attack in 60% of patients. They found evidence of heart attack in 17%. And the other 23% of patients were observed and monitored further.

A top group of experts may soon recommend HIV tests for all U.S. adults, Reuters news service said August 20. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now leaves the decision up to doctors. The task force is a group of experts on preventive care. It is appointed by the government but acts independently. The 2010 health care reform law requires that insurers cover preventive services that the task force recommends. Reuters said “health officials close to the panel” expect it to recommend routine HIV tests later this year. The task force’s job is to weigh the harm of tests and procedures against their benefits. It last updated its advice on HIV tests in 2005. At that time, it did not find enough evidence to support routine tests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already recommends one HIV test in a lifetime for people ages 13 to 64.

Nearly 2 out of 3 U.S. adults now say that they walk at least 10 minutes per week, officials reported this week. But too few are getting enough exercise to make a difference in their health, officials said. The latest numbers come from a 2010 national survey. Almost 62% of adults surveyed said they walked for 10 minutes or more at least once in the last week. That’s up from 56% in 2005. People in the West walk the most. Those in the South walk least. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the new numbers. Officials said the improvement is a first step toward getting more Americans active. The government recommends at least 150 minutes per week of walking or other moderate exercise. Research has shown that this amount of activity can improve health. Only about 48% of U.S. adults are getting this much exercise, the 2010 survey showed.