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Volume 6 | Issue 23 | through June 4, 2013 Mentions in the media almost always have unforeseen consequences. Although we never really know how they will work, we work to get positive mentions in the media to help attract patients and gain attention to our clinical outcomes, our advanced facilities and, not least, the enormous benefits to a patient that academic medicine can bring. Interested in the hospital’s media relations efforts? Have an idea you think the media may like? Want to see the stories behind the stories? Contact Dan Weaver •E mail him at [email protected] •C all him at 720-848-7852 UCH in the News Notable mentions of the hospital, its people and its community. A spin on vertigo. Fox31, Denver, 5/9 The whirling sensation caused by displacement of particles in the inner ear can be treated with a simple maneuver that puts the sufferer’s head in an upside down position, says Carol Foster, MD. Story. Guns really do kill people. Durango Herald, 5/13 And they’re often used by people to take their own lives, according to the Colorado Department of Health, which reports that about 80 percent of firearm deaths in the state are suicides. Carol Runyan, MPH, PhD, says as horrific and headline-grabbing as are mass murders like those in Aurora and Newtown, Conn., they are comparatively rare. “The vast majority of homicides are by people who know you. They’re not by strangers,” Runyan says. Meanwhile, Marian Betz, MD, MPH, disputes the notion that people who try to commit suicide will do so whether or not they have access to guns. “A majority of people who attempt suicide, and don’t die, don’t go on to kill themselves in the future,” she says. Story. Skipping a wire may help afib patients. WebMD, 5/14 Implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) can correct dangerous heart arrhythmias, but new evidence shows patients may be better off with devices that attach one electrical lead to the lower chamber of the right side of the heart than with more expensive ICDs that attach leads to both the upper and lower right chambers. The study showed that patients with a single-chamber ICD had lower complication rates than patients who received the dual-chamber device, says Pamela Peterson, MD. Story. Natural remedies nothing to sniff at. Fox31, Denver, 5/14 Many people treat seasonal allergies with medications, but Ban Wong of The Center for Integrative Medicine at UCH says natural remedies, like changes in diet, may do the trick without the need for pills. Wong also performs acupuncture on some patients with allergies. The key, he says, is to find the underlying cause of the problem. Story. Subscribe: The Insider is delivered free via email every other Wednesday. To subscribe: [email protected] Comment: We want your input, feedback, notices of stories we’ve missed. To comment: [email protected] Volume 6 | Issue 23 | through June 4, 2013 | Page 2 A second look at solitary confinement. Psychiatric News, 5/17 The common belief that prolonged solitary confinement for prisoners is psychologically harmful may not hold up under closer scrutiny, according to a study led by Jeffrey Metzner, MD. Only a small number of inmates segregated from the rest of the prison population showed clinical deterioration in their mental health status. One possible explanation: prisoners find ways to adapt psychologically to the unpleasantries of administrative segregation. Story. Breaking news on osteoporosis. Fox31, Denver, 5/17 Menopause and the accompanying decline in estrogen levels has long been associated with bone loss and osteoporosis in women. But Wendy Kohrt, PhD, warns that becoming less active can also accelerate bone loss. “We know from studies from astronauts in space, or people with prolonged periods of bed rest, that when you remove physical activity and loading forces from the skeleton the rate of bone loss accelerates dramatically,” Kohrt says. Story. Kids dig gardens. Denver Post, 5/18 Students at Aurora’s North Middle School have planted the district’s first community garden. Older students from the Anschutz Medical Campus helped fund the project, which is part of North’s health sciences curriculum. The garden work helps kids get in touch with nature, stay active and learn, says Michele Doucette, PhD. Story. Testosterone test is inconclusive. Better Living, 5/20 Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is promoted as a fix for men looking to recapture their youthful vitality, but Kerry Hildreth, MD, says there is little evidence that TRT can turn back the clock for otherwise healthy men with low levels of the hormone. However, she adds, it makes sense for men who are clinically deficient in testosterone to discuss TRT with their physicians. Story. System execs reach top ranks. Denver Business Journal, 5/20 Becker’s Hospital Review lists UCH President and CEO John Harney and Poudre Valley Hospital President and CEO Kevin Unger among its “100 Leaders of Great Hospitals in America.” According to the publication, leaders on the list demonstrate “a crystal clear vision and a relentless pursuit toward an organization’s mission.” Story.