MASSDEVICE ON CALL — The American Heart Assn. says that weight loss surgery can help some severely obese patients with symptoms ranging from liver disease to diabetes.
In a “scientific statement” published in its Circulation journal, the association said a review of recent studies of bariatric surgery procedures showed that they can help some patients with a body mass index of 40 or more with a range of other health problems.
But the surgeries, which restrict the amount of food eaten or prevent it from being fully digested, also have risks — including death — that make it unsuitable as an across-the-board solution for the severely obese.
“When reviewing the scientific literature, the statement-writing committee found that, when indicated, bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss and improvements in the health consequences of being overweight, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, liver disease, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular dysfunction. Recent studies have suggested that bariatric surgery prolongs life in the severely obese,” according to a press release.
“The statement is not an across-the-board endorsement of bariatric surgery for the severely obese,” lead author Paul Poirier said in prepared remarks. “Bariatric procedures are generally safe; however, this is not a benign surgery. At the moment, bariatric surgery should be reserved for patients who can undergo surgery safely, have severe obesity and have failed attempts at medical therapy.”
The surgery’s success also depends on significant and life-long changes on the part of the patient. The AHA panel recommended that prospective patients undergo a psychological evaluation for factors that may have contributed to the obesity — and for how they might affect the patient’s ability to sustain the changes needed for success.
Virginia asks Supreme Court to review its health care law challenge
Virginia is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for a hearing of its challenge to President Barack Obama’s health care law, arguing that it violates the Constitution’s commerce clause.
The Commonwealth wants the Supremes to review its argument that the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate is unconstitutional.
The Justice Dept. filed a brief asking the high court to deny the move, saying the case should not be allowed to bypass the federal appeals court process.
In other health care reform news:
- Conservatives impatient as health care reform dodges another de-funding bullet
- Bipartisan bill to end medical equipment bidding
- Iowa’s Rep. Steve King: “Obamacare is a theft of American liberty”
- Minn. bill bans spending for fed health care law
- Santorum dings “Romneycare”
Health Net loses “sensitive” data for 2 million people
Health insurance provider Health Net lost nine servers loaded with 1.9 million clients’ sensitive medical, financial and Social Security data, but wouldn’t say whether the drives were stolen.
It’s not the first time the Woodland Hills, Calif.-based company has lost data for millions of its customers. Health Net paid Vermont $55,000 in January to settle a case in which it allegedly lost a portable, unencrypted drive with 1.5 million people’s data on it.
Guatemalans sue U.S. over syphilis dosing
A secret government program from the 1940s, in which Guatemalan soldiers were deliberately infected with syphilis, drew an apology from the U.S. government last year.
Not surprisingly, that’s not enough for the victims, who filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking compensation for the health problems that ensued.
The secret medical experiment enlisted prostitutes infected with syphilis to sleep with soldiers, prison inmates, and psychiatric patients in Guatemala. Those who came down with the disease were then compared with a healthy, uninfected cohort that allegedly included children as young as six years old.