Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that is growing in the United States. Sometimes referred to as the slow death, because people’s minds go while there bodies stay healthy. Dr. Dung Trinh is a world leading brain and Alzheimer's researcher who has dedicated his time studying the brain and trying to eradicate the disease.
We talk about research, prevention, new treatments, and where there is and isn’t a place for marijuana. Studies have shown that medical marijuana has exciting promise for treatment of disease and also exciting investment potential.
You can find Dr. Dung Trinh here:
Healthy Brain Club Dr. Dung Trinh on LinkedIn @iggyigette on Twitter ToungueOut
Show Notes
- [01:17] Dr. Trinh has been a physician since 1999. He is an internist and does a lot of geriatric medicine.
- [01:36] After 17 years he was successful in reducing heart disease, cutting back on strokes, and helping with diabetes. His Alzheimer's patients were challenge, because he didn't have the tools to treat them at this point.
- [02:39] Alzheimer's is devastating for the family members. People have to quit work or take time off because we just don't have the resources to care for everyone.
- [02:50] The long Is when your brain is gone but your body continues.
- [03:05] After watching helplessly as his Alzheimer's patients suffered, Dr. Trinh decided to focus exclusively on the brain.
- [03:17] He is involved in Alzheimer's research. They run clinical trials and are looking for a cure.
- [03:50] A healthy brain has about 100 billion brain cells. The brain cells talk to each other. Patterns of connections are formed. Each pattern can be viewed as a memory, thought, or feeling.
- [04:39] Amyloid beta is the plaque or protein that builds up excessively in Alzheimer patients. When enough of this occurs the patterns of communication or memories are broke up.
- [05:45] All Alzheimer's patients have the amyloid plaque in their brain, but not all people with amyloid plaque get Alzheimer's.
- [05:55] Even if you have the plaque we can bend the curve to help avoid the diagnosis. That is exactly what I do.
- [06:35] Dr. Trinh is an educator in the community with the Healthy Brain Club. He does education on Alzheimer's risk reduction.
- [07:04] Prevention is first and foremost. They do clinical research for pharma products testing.
- [08:04] They are now using immunotherapy. They prime the immune system to recognize the cancer as the bad guy.
- [09:11] They are now bringing the technology of immunotherapy over to Alzheimer's treatment.
- [09:50] Medical marijuana and Alzheimers. Published reports are showing cannabis treating ailments. Dr. Trinh's worldview was that pot was bad. Now he is slowly looking at how Marijuana can be used responsibility.
- [12:42] The data does show that using marijuana for the wrong reasons can be detrimental.
- [13:27] Medical marijuana can be used to help people in a responsible way.
- [14:43] It's super early to look at dosing. Cannabis is illegal at the federal level.
- [16:05] There is early research on PubMed. The studies are exploding. God doesn't create evil plants, just humans abuse them.
- [17:38] The US government owns the patent to medical marijuana.
- [18:43] Dr. Trinh runs the Healthy Brain Club. Their purpose is to bring about awareness of Alzheimer's and reduce risk.
- [19:48] The cannabis club is the largest club in a large Southern California retirement community.
- [22:06] Medical studies and research have shown that marijuana in a developing brain causes damage. Anything abused causes damage.
- [24:02] This is an evolving conversation that needs to happen.
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