Health Talks with Dr Trinh

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us stressful and overwhelming challenges to a degree that our level of anxiety and stress have increased. It negatively affects our mental health mainly when we tend to feel more isolated and lonelier due to the sudden health protocol restrictions. 

People try to cope with stress even at the simplest level that they can until they get run over and find wrong solutions. The extreme amount of stress and lack of coping skills has led many to use illegal drugs that caused the rate of substance abuse to increase. This is why being open to health education is needed to put a stop on the continuous pain behind mental health amidst the pandemic.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Paul Christo, the author of the Aches and Gains, A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Your Pain, as he talks about the uncontrolled and untreated pain people are dealing with and the pharmacological strategies to reduce pain. At the same time, Lanii Phan, the Vice President of Community Health at 360 Clinic, is also here with us to share (her/his) inputs about the topic. 

Keep in mind that mental health is as important as your physical health. So taking care of your mental wellness during this pandemic is crucial and helpful for our well-being. Episode 12 features better ways to reduce pain without the risk of illegal drugs. Listen to learn more!

Important Points:

• Some of the pharmaceutical companies push physicians to use opioids more frequently.
• There are many instances where people overdose and die due to misuse of opioids because they have access to it even without the prescription. 
• Acupuncture can be used in treating numerous conditions such as neck pain, back pain, and knee pain.
• Endorphins are the internal morphine that reduces pain naturally.

About the Guests:

Lanii Phan is the Vice President of Community Health at 360 Clinic, a COVID testing company. She is also the Director of Business Development at Sun-Mar and at Windsor Gardens of Anaheim, and the supervisor at Gerinet Medical Associates. 

Paul Christo, MD is one of the world’s leading pain specialists and author of Aches and Gains, A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Your Pain. He is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pain Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Starting from childhood to adulthood, we face challenges even in the most basic situations. Everyone, even the most successful people, experiences problems and has its fair share of setbacks and hardships because it is never meant to be easy. Life is full of uncertainties, but it is up to us if we can accept the fact that not everything is within our control.

As humans, challenges are part of our lives and we have the ability to overcome these by not taking the obstacles as a burden, but rather blessings. Hardships and downfalls are not always punishments from what we’ve done but sometimes they can be the rewards for our own successes. 

In this another episode, we’ve invited the veteran ultra-long distance runner, Guinness World Book of Record holder, and dubbed as the modern-day Forrest Gump, Stan Cotrell, to share us lessons and nuggets of inspiration to help us reach our goals and dreams. 

Stan has been racing around the country to promote health, hope, and friendship. He is a man of wisdom and stories to share that would entertain and inspire you as well. Even at the age of 78, he still manages to run 30 miles per day, which inspires countless others. Tune in to not miss his inspiring stories as he shares the amazing things he’s been doing. 

Memorable Quotes:

• The secret principle to living a successful life is to discover what you do well and do more of it. - Stan Cotrell
• There is not a day in my life where I don’t get the victory because I plant the seed today and I also reap the harvest today. - Stan Cotrell
• One man running can do so much for the country. - Dr. Dung Trinh

Other Resources:

• AmnioFit Platform
• Friendship Sport Association

Important Points:

• Stan Cotrell runs across 40 different countries.
• Four key points in success: visualize, vocalize, energize, and realize and everything starts with a dream that you have. 
• Prioritizing calorie intake and staying hydrated are two important things to maintain for a runner’s good physical health.

About the Guests:

Stan Cotrell is a 78-year-old veteran ultra-long distance runner, a Guinness World Book of Record holder, and a record holder for the fastest TransAmerica run taking just 48 days. He has been racing around the country to promote health, hope, and friendship.

Click here for more about Stan Cotrell.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Buddhism is one of the major world religions that focuses on the true nature of life - the state of enlightenment. It is a way to live, seeking the state of inner peace and wisdom instead of focusing on a relationship between The Divine and humanity.

“There is no enemy outside our soul. The real enemies live inside us: anger, ego, greed and hate.” - Siddhartha Gautama

We are all living in this world, dealing with problems, fears, and uncertainties but our greatest enemy is ourselves. Finding contentment among all things can be the greatest wealth a person can have. Setting our hearts doing good things and allowing ourselves to appreciate small things will help us find joy and inner peace.

Tibetan monks find contentment and pleasure by dedicating their lives to prayer and serving others. In this episode, we will be learning how Buddhists, especially Tibetan monks, maintain a peaceful life despite the problems they face. This episode features the Buddhist philosophies in attaining the state of enlightenment, keeping calmness, and inner peace. 

Listen to this episode to know more about a way of looking at the world that can help you deal with difficult situations that bear sadness, fear, anxiety, and distress.

Memorable Quotes:

• To have long-lasting peace, you have to prioritize your mental health. - Sonam
• Considering someone’s happiness and peace of mind brings you help for yourself to be more peaceful. - Tenzin Choesand
• The best way to take care of yourself is to take care of others as well. - Sonam

Important Points:

• Buddhism is a way of life and does not restrict which religion you want to join.
• Buddhism teaches mostly inner values such as love, compassion, and trust.
• Balance what you give for yourself and what you give to others.
• Enlightenment means to eliminate all negative emotions within you.

About the Guests:

Tenzin Choesang and Sonam are Tibetan monks practicing the Buddhist way of living, which involves a commitment to praying and serving other people. Doing these things makes them feel content in which they also find pleasure from these. They do not only conduct religious ceremonies but also take care of monasteries. 

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

As much as modern technology and science tries to alleviate human suffering, the world has been plagued by numerous health problems afflicting the lives of people. Due to COVID-19, the rate of mortality increased resulting in widespread medical and economic challenges. 

Our body has interferon proteins that are part of the natural defenses. They work by interfering with the virus to enter the body by activating the body’s immune system. This is one of the first line of defense the human body has when it gets infected with COVID-19 but unfortunately, this is not enough.

According to WHO, as of November 2021, there have been approximately 200 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. For COVID-19 medications, Remdesivir is one of the few drugs approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19 yet researchers are still evaluating which drug works best to fight the global pandemic.

In this episode, Dr. Dung Trinh is joined by Dr. Ajay Gupta, an inventor and innovator who has investigated Ramatroban, new immunotherapy with potential treatment for COVID-19. Though still under development, early phase clinical trials and studies have been promising. 

Learn more of the potential of this medication on Episode 9!

Memorable Quotes:

• When there’s a new drug, it takes a lot of clinical trials to ensure that the drug is not just going to be effective but more importantly, it is going to be safe. - Dr. Ajay Gupta
• New medications for Covid have to undergo multiple phases of clinical trials but there isn’t always funding for these needed studies. - Dr. Dung Trinh

Other Resources:

• [email protected] - Dr Ajay Gupta

Important Points:

• The severity of illness from COVID-19 infection depends on how the body reacts to the virus.
• As humans age, we produce more Prostaglandin d2 (PGD2). When infected with a virus, the production of PGD2 increases further and suppresses interferons - one of the first immune responder of the body.

About the Guests:

Ajay Gupta, MD is an inventor who currently develops Ramatroban, a PGD2-CRTH2 antagonist, immunotherapy for COVID-19. He is a nephrologist and basic and clinical scientist, the Section Head of Pediatric Epilepsy at Cleveland Clinic, currently the Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California, Irvine - College of Medicine, and President and Chief Scientific Officer of KARE Biosciences, 

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• Facebook
• LinkedIn

As we continue to talk about Alzheimer’s disease, technological advancements have allowed physicians to detect early signs of this disease. Autopsies, brain scans and blood tests paved the way for physicians to finally identify cognitive disorders more accurately and thoroughly in a shorter span of time. 

Due to a lack of resources and know-how, the medical community used to focus only on treating sickness and disease instead of being proactive in the field of prevention. But as we are able to explore and discover new procedures and medical solutions to prevent future illnesses and complications, we have not only saved lives but have made good use of our resources as well.

As we’ve discussed Cognivue and Aduhelm from the previous episodes, a new blood test called, “PrecivityAD™ test”, has been developed for patients with cognitive impairment and for those who are displaying early memory and thinking problems. This test help physicians to indirectly determine the presence of beta amyloid plaques in the brain by measuring this biomarker in the blood. Listen to Episode 8 as Dr. Dung Trinh is joined by our guest,  Dr. Joel Braunstein, as they discuss this simple method to detect Alzheimer’s early on and the benefits this test can offer.

Gain relevant information about the PrecivityAD test and how this can greatly help the medical field when you listen to Episode 8! 

Memorable Quotes:

• Just because someone has a genetic risk factor does not guarantee that they will get the disease. - Dr. Joel Braunstein
• 40 percent of dementia cognitive decline can be modifiable through lifestyle changes. - Dr. Joel Braunstein
• Sleep is super important to allow your brain to rest. - Dr. Joel Braunstein

Other Resources:

• precivityad.com

Important Points:

• Mass spectrometry is used to measure the atomic weight of particles that are circulating in the brain, blood, and CSL. 
• A blood test can potentially replace a more invasive and more expensive brain scan.
• Having the beta amyloid plaque in the brain doesn’t condemn you to the diagnosis of having Alzheimer’s
• The "Six Pillars" to stimulate your brain and reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s: physical exercise, brain exercise, socialization, getting enough sleep, controlling other health conditions, and nutrition.

About the Guests:

Joel Braunstein, MD, MBA is the CEO and Co-founder of C2N Diagnostics, CEO of LifeTech Research, and founding CEO of Tivorsan Pharmaceuticals. Click here for more information about the guest.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Two of the most important issues in administering a medication are the right patient and the right drug. Correct medications must be strictly given to the right patient and doctors must ensure that the medications given are up to date and as prescribed to prevent drug errors. 

Not all medications work for everyone so it is crucial to diagnose the patient correctly to prescribe the correct medicine for them. This is why healthcare is rapidly moving towards precision medicine. 

Precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine, is at its core for matching the right drug for the right patient. It offers a greater understanding of diseases and finds the intervention and treatment that best suits the patient’s needs by focusing on their genetics, environment, and lifestyle. Some studies show that many diseases are linked to genetic mutations thus, genes play a big role in how a certain disease starts.

As we talk about the future of medicine, Dr. Dung Trinh is joined by the Principal Investigator of the All of Us Research Program, Dr. Hoda Anton-Culver, to share how their program works and how it focuses on collaborating with populations who are traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research. To shape the future of medicine, they welcome everyone to participate in this study regardless of culture, gender, and nationality.

Participating in research like this is a great opportunity not only for your benefit but could also shape the future of medicine for the next generation. Click the play button and learn more about what this research is all about! 

Memorable Quotes:

• “We are looking for any single condition, and characteristic that’s why we have availability to huge data.” - Dr. Hoda Anton-Culver
• “Not everyone responds to a medication the same way.” - Dr. Hoda Anton-Culver
• “We cannot treat every patient with the same cookie cutter.” - Dr. Dung Trinh

Other Resources:

• https://allofus.health.uci.edu/

Important Points:

• Everyone is welcome to participate in the All of Us Research Program
• The scope of the All of Us program covers different topics such as diet, health, family history of the disease, environmental factors, and more.
• The program doesn’t target testing for a particular disease but focuses on genetic information, lifestyle activities, and nutrition.

About the Guests:

Hoda Anton-Culver, Ph.D., is the principal investigator of All of Us Research Program, the founding director of Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute, and a professor in the Department of Medicine School of Medicine, UCI Health. Her research interests include Precision Medicine, Cancer Epidemiology, Genetic Epidemiology, Disease Prevention, and Translational Epidemiology.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• LinkedIn

Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that destroys the cognitive health of a person through memory, thinking skills, and ability to do simple tasks. It is one of the top five leading causes of death in Orange Country and the most common type of dementia. 

After a "drought" of 18 years, pharmaceutical giant Biogen has finally found a treatment that is currently the only disease-modifying medication FDA approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

As a newly approved Biogen drug, Aduhelm targets the protein beta-amyloid and helps reduce amyloid plaque in the brain. This plaque builds up over time as it interrupts the communication between brain cells resulting in cognitive decline  leading to dementia. Aduhelm is a monoclonal antibody that works by crossing the blood-brain barrier,  binding to the amyloid beta plaque in the brain, and initiating an immune system cascade that removes the plaque.  

We’ve invited John Dwyer in this episode to talk about Aduhelm, its risk vs benefit, how it works, and how this can make a significant change among people with Alzheimer’s. John Dwyer is the President of Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on accelerating clinical trial participation for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s. 

Listen to Episode 6, as we share valuable information in treating Alzheimer’s disease!

Memorable Quotes:

• Primary care physicians and neurologists still don’t know all the Alzheimer's clinical trials that are currently available. - John Dwyer
• The country is blessed with a very conscientious, ethical, and thoughtful medical community. - John Dwyer
• Some medications may not work for everyone. - Dr. Dung Trinh

Other Resources:

• clinicaltrials.gov 
• Irvine Clinical Research
• globalalzplatform.org

Important Points:

• Adulhem is a Biogen drug designed to reduce the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque
• Beta-amyloid plaque potentially interrupts communication between brain cells that results in cognitive decline and is believed to be associated with Alzheimer’s. 
• Adulhem works by crossing the blood-brain barrier and locating "Alzheimer's plaque" in the brain. It activates the immune system to remove Amyloid-beta plaque.

About the Guests:

John Dwyer is the President of Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, a  serial healthcare entrepreneur, served as the co-founder and Chairman of Telcare, Inc., and co-founded Us Against Alzheimer’s. Click here for more information.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Facebook

Quality care is no longer a utopian concept of society. As technology continues to advance and innovation widens, medical treatments and procedures enable healthcare providers to give the utmost quality care to their patients. 

As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”. Technology can be utilized to automatically detect risk in a patient’s health and recommend possible solutions for different kinds of diseases.

The healthcare system has been so immersed in diagnosing and treating diseases that sometimes, it forgets to emphasize the importance of early detection and prevention to minimize the number of patients being diagnosed and treated for various diseases and medical conditions. Not only can an emphasis on prevention save lives, but also help lessen a patient's healthcare expenses since they can start the precautionary measures by changing their lifestyles and diets. 

As we continue to talk about Alzheimer’s disease, we’ve invited Dr. Fred Ma to talk about how Cognivue works in detecting and preventing cognitive impairment. People with cognitive impairment find it difficult to remember, learn, concentrate, and make new decisions. Symptoms range from mild to severe progressing to dementia left untreated. 

Cognivue is a computerized Cognitive Assessment system designed to assess a patient’s ability in the major functions of the brain such as motor function, visual function, perceptual preset processing, and memory testing. Cognivue hopes to play a role in early detection of cognitive decline with a goal of early proactive treatment. Learn more about the benefits of this innovation when you listen to this episode.

Memorable Quotes:

• It's the 21st century and now is the time to be aware that prevention is important. - Dr. Fred Ma
• We cannot prevent what we cannot detect. - Dr. Trinh
• Once you pay attention to the early detection of cognitive impairment, it can contribute to preventing further worsening of data. - Dr. Fred Ma
• An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. - Dr. Dung Trinh

Important Points:

• Neurodegenerative is  a pathological process evolving over time.
• Alzheimer’s is possibly preventable in the future if mass awareness and early detection programs are implemented across the board.
• An Alzheimer's patient takes up a lot more Medicare resources than a non-Alzheimer’s patient because of the decline of health over time.
• Alzheimer’s is an epidemic.

About the Guests:

Fred Ma, MD, Ph.D., is the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Cognivue, Inc., the most recent president and chief operating officer of Innovative Health Sciences, has served as chief medical officer for KORU Medical Systems, Innovacyn, and GE Healthcare, as well as leadership roles within Johnson & Johnson, Merck and more.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTal

Economic and social disruption are two major causes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It caused many changes globally that forced people to adjust to the new normal. Despite the circumstances, people find ways to fight the disruptions and perform the majority of the daily activities virtually like education, meetings, and checkups to prevent continuous transmission of the virus.

Aside from the new normal, the demand on healthcare workers continues to rise due to a number of things: frontliners retiring early because of extreme exhaustion both psychologically and physically, and even worse, some died while on duty. Different things have changed and some medical circumstances have worsened e as a result of the virus impacting the health of many people.

Compassion and love for people are two important virtues a healthcare provider should have. Helping people with the power of love does not only change a person’s life but also contributes to the betterment of society and the world. In this episode of Health Talks with Dr. Trinh, we are joined by Dr. Mark Schafer,  CEO of MemorialCare Medical Group, who shares how they help communities of Orange County and Los Angeles County to survive and even thrive amidst the pandemic. 

People like Dr. Schafer are too special to miss so hit that play button for Episode 4 to learn more from him and Dr. Trinh!

Memorable Quotes:

• Let’s get the word out to the community and to our patients to educate. - Dr. Mark Schafer 
• COVID-19 doubles depression and anxiety in people. - Dr. Mark Schafer
• COVID-19 causes doctors and nurses to be so overwhelmed psychologically, physically and they’re just giving up. - Paul Roberts

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Memorialcare.org 
• Silvercloud

Important Points:

• Vaccines stimulate the immune system.
• MemorialCare does thousands of virtual visits every week.
• Follow-up patients with diabetes and high blood pressure don’t require physical check-ups.

About the Guest:

Mark D. Schafer, MD, is a specialist in General Internal Medicine and the CEO of MemorialCare Medical Foundation. 

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr. Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Dementia is recorded as the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older adults globally. Just like heart disease and cancer, dementia is an umbrella term for a set of syndromes that leads to deterioration in cognitive function. It is caused by the damage of brain cells that results in the inability to communicate, think, feel, or behave appropriately. 

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia that worsens over time. It kills the brain cells and leads to memory loss and cognitive decline. This disease is incurable and affects mainly people ages 65 years and older. 

Memories are beautiful and priceless. It strengthens our sense of self-identity and purpose, as well as our bonds with others. When these memories slowly fade, everything will change and that's why we need to have a support system to help guide us in living with someone who has this condition. Dr. Dung Trinh is joined by Jim McAleer to share his organization, “Alzheimer’s Orange County”, which provides hands-on care and support for patients with Alzheimer’s.

A person with dementia is most likely to be socially isolated, less likely to exercise, forget medications, and less connected to society. And having a good support system can benefit the psychological aspect of that person suffering from this neuro-degenerative health condition. Don’t miss Episode 3 of Health Talks with Dr. Trinh to know what dementia is all about. Listen now!

Memorable Quotes:

• Patients with Alzheimer's are still with us. It’s just the memories that are lost. - Jim McAleer
• Seniors with dementia are the most vulnerable in society. - Dr. Dung Trinh

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Our Gang
• Alzheimer’s Orange County 

Important Points:

• Learn a new game because your brain is very adaptable and you can keep your brain active. 
• A person with dementia is most likely to be socially isolated, less likely to exercise, forget medications, and less connected to society.
• “Dementia” is an overlying term for a neurologically impairing condition that impacts the ability to function.
• There are a couple of different conditions of dementia: Parkinsonian dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, alcohol-related dementia, and others.

About the Guests:

Jim McAleer is the president and CEO of Alzheimer’s Orange County.  AlzOC runs two adult day centers, Acacia Adult Day Center and South County Adult Day Center. He also mentors and leads an Executive Team composed of 5 highly-qualified and industry-experienced individuals in developing and implementing the agency’s strategic plan.

About the Host:

Dung Trinh, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of Irvine Clinical Research, medical missionary with TongueOut Medical Missions, and holds leadership positions with multiple health care organizations in Orange County. He is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Host of “Health Talks with Dr Trinh” which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn