In recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month, the November edition of the “Cultural Responsiveness” blog by Latinos en Optometry and VSP Vision features an article by Lina Arango, OD, that explores how optometrists can help reduce the impact of diabetes among Hispanic patients.
“As a Colombian American myself, I know that our culture is very food-centric, and that many traditional meals are rich in carbohydrates and fried food,” says Dr. Arango in a Latinos en Optometry press release. These meals can create poorly controlled blood sugar.1
"... So it is not surprising that we see rates of diabetic retinopathy and visual impairment that are much higher than among non-Hispanic Whites with diabetes,2” she points out. In fact, Latinos are almost 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes compared to non-Hispanic Whites.1
Seeing firsthand the effects of poor diet and uncontrolled blood sugar in this patient population helped Dr. Arango reshape her approach to patient care, she says. “I realized that even though I’m an optometrist and not a dietician, I need to incorporate some basic nutrition education into my patient conversations if I want to holistically address the risk factors for ocular disease and vision loss,” she explains.
In the blog, Dr. Arango provides practical guidance for her optometrist colleagues on how to reinforce the connection between diabetes management and ocular health for their Hispanic patients, based on her experiences in doing so.
Dr. Arango’s blog is available on the Latinos en Optometry website at https://latinosenoptometry.org/news/cultural-responsiveness/. OM
References:
1. Hispanics and Latinos have higher risk for vision loss. Centers for Disease Control. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes
2. Sprabary A. Eye disease in Latinos: Conditions, risks, and prevention. All About Vision. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-disease-latino-communities/