MONTHLY FRIENDS REPORT: Three women having a deep belly laugh while sitting in camping chairs enjoying a beverage in the great outdoors.

In This Issue: Staying healthy and active as you age

If you’re over 65, you’re not alone in your search for reliable information on how to manage chronic conditions, keep track of multiple medications and enjoy a fulfilling life.

Tailored to help you navigate these challenges, this newsletter contains the latest articles and updates from the newsrooms of CU Anschutz Medical Campus and UCHealth, bringing you the information you need to stay healthy and vibrant.

Yours in health and discovery,

Julia Patrick
Newsletter Connoisseur

CU Anschutz Advancement Team

P.S. If this is the first time you're receiving this newsletter, welcome! Our objective is to update you on the latest discoveries happening at CU Anschutz thanks to the power of philanthropy. If you want to make sure we continue to land in your inbox once a month, please subscribe and tell us what topics we should include in future issues.

ASK A SCIENTIST:

How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) changing the practice of medicine?

Aimee Bernard, PhD, is back to answer another reader-submitted question with a video response. This month, she delves into the innovative ways AI is currently enhancing patient care at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Want more? Watch the full Transforming Healthcare recording.

Ask a Scientist moving image sneak peek with play button

▶ ASK A SCIENTIST REPLY

If you'd like a better understanding of something you've read or heard about related to medicine and health in general, please email your question(s) to advancement@cuanschutz.edu (or just reply to this email). Yours could be the question that Dr. Bernard answers via video reply next month!

Arrive Health has been helping patients find the right medications at the best-possible prices for years. Now it’s drastically speeding up the prior-authorization process to get drugs that require an insurer’s approval into patients’ hands faster and more efficiently.

Older adults often tell their doctors that longevity is their No. 1 goal. From ‘Blue Zones’ to alcohol use and supplements, here is what you need to know.

When you have a chronic condition, it affects how you function in your daily life and requires ongoing care. That could include your ability to drive, cook, clean, bathe and shower, walk and accomplish other life skill chores. How should you prioritize multiple medical issues? What is best way to reduce pain?

The number of Colorado residents over the age of 65 is projected to double to 1.7 million people by 2050, making the state’s aging population the second-fastest growing in the country. With an increasing number of older adults and a severe shortage of geriatric-trained healthcare providers, the Centennial State is taking action.

Why do older burn patients often experience mental decline after their injury, while younger burn patients don’t show many cognitive changes? It’s a question Elizabeth J. Kovacs, PhD, vice chair of research at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, has been exploring for years.

For more than half of the people who have essential tremors, the cause is genetic, for the other half, the cause is unknown. After a pause due to the COVID pandemic, high-intensity focused ultrasound surgeries began again last year at UCHealth when 23 patients successfully underwent the treatment.

Breast cancer is the number-one cancer diagnosed in women worldwide despite decades of progress in education, detection and treatment. Virginia Borges, MD, MMSc, provides advice for women concerned about breast cancer and lists three main things women can do to reduce their risk.

The scientific world scrambled to identify and understand SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, racing against the clock. It then slowed due to a disconnected research environment. Work being undertaken at CU Anschutz today is aimed at preventing that scenario from happening again.

The World Health Organization has declared Mpox a public health emergency. The outbreak in 2022 was spread primarily by sexual contact. What we’re seeing now in Central Africa is mpox spreading through sharing blankets, towels, utensils or cups with someone who’s infected. Travelers who may be sick with an mpox-like syndrome and have been in an area that has an mpox outbreak should isolate and be treated as appropriate.

Philanthropic Spotlight:
We Met The Match! $170,000+ Raised for Regenerative Medicine Research

A patient rests in a hospital bed as a clinician tends to an IV bag.

Image: A patient at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital enrolled in a clinical trial receives therapy manufactured at Gates Biomanufacturing Facility. The CELLS team provides support to these clinical trials, which are key to moving research from concepts to cures.

Last month, we announced that a generous donor agreed to match every single dollar raised for regenerative, cell and gene therapies at the Gates Institute, up to $25,000.

Thanks to all the early contributions received from people like you, we met the match early!

This motivated our donor to increase their match limit to $70,000.

We exceeded the match, collectively raising more than $170,000 for regenerative, cell and gene therapies at the Gates Institute in 2024!

Groundbreaking work is being done at the Gates Institute, where pioneers in regenerative, cell and gene therapy are redefining treatments for people experiencing lifechanging health challenges, including:

Cancer:
Our team is working to apply CAR-T technology to different types of cancer.

Arthritis:
Engineers and scientists are creating an injection for joints that would stop cartilage and bone from eroding, kick-start regrowth and potentially patch holes in tissue.

Eye Disease:
Our world-class researchers and clinicians are working to save and restore sight in patients with blinding diseases.

Heart Disease:
Scientists are working on converting certain cells into cardiomyocytes, to help the heart's ability to pump.

If you'd like to be notified of future matches and giving opportunities, subscribe and tell us your giving preferences.

KEEP ME UPDATED

RESEARCH STUDY
Do You Have Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration?
If so, you may be eligible to participate in this research study that's looking for participants 55 to 100 years of age. Compensation is provided.

LEARN MORE

SEPTEMBER
We Want Your Excess Garden Produce
Have a garden overflowing with goodness? Donate your extra produce to the Office of Student Affairs food pantry! Donations accepted Mondays from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m.

LEARN MORE

SEPTEMBER 24
Bladder or Bowel Out of Control?
You are not alone. Overactive bladder and fecal incontinence are common but not a normal part of aging. Attend a free educational event and learn options for control.

SAVE MY SEAT

Recipe: Muffin Tin Frittatas

These muffin tin frittatas make an easy grab-and-go breakfast option. Make them ahead of time and refrigerate them for 3-5 days or wrap each muffin individually and freeze them for up to 3 months.

Knowledge Test: Are brown eggs healthier than white eggs? (Take a guess and get the recipe!)

YES

...because laughter is the best medicine.

What did the pirate say at his 80th birthday party? Aye matey!

This "mom joke" was submitted by Casey Kaetterhenry, Philanthropic Assistant, CU Anschutz Office of Advancement.

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