This week, Bobby Connor talks with Dr. Andrea Loftry, an associate professor of medicine and endocrinologist at MUSC, about preventing diabetes complications.
Transcript:
Connor: I’m Bobby Connor with South Carolina Public Radio’s Health Focus, here in the radio studios of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Careful and consistent diabetes care and management can reduce the risk of serious complications. To learn more, we’re speaking with Dr. Andrea Loftry, associate professor of medicine and endocrinologist at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Loftry, what are some of the potential complications associated with diabetes?
Dr. Loftry: There are several complications associated with diabetes, but I want to highlight some of the most common. There are macrovascular complications, which is the term you’ll hear often, and they refer to complications that affect the large blood vessels in the body. Then there are microvascular complications, which are complications that affect the smaller blood vessels. Macrovascular complications include heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Small vascular complications include eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy, kidney disease, and nerve disease known as diabetic neuropathy.
Connor: And does the risk of complications increase over time, or is it all about carefully managing diabetes?
Dr. Loftry: The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to experience complications in your lifetime. But I want to reassure you, this is why optimizing your diabetes control is really, really important, so you can live with diabetes with minimal or no complications.
Connor: So, what are the ingredients to managing diabetes carefully and consistently?
Dr. Loftry: There are several, but they all work together. A healthy lifestyle comes first. This includes eating the right foods, avoiding the unsuitable foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress. You can’t completely avoid stress or life, but working on how to manage your stress can also help you live a healthier lifestyle. Monitoring your blood sugar levels is of course very important. Take your prescribed medications. If you are taking medications for diabetes management, it is important to take them regularly and in the right way. And of course, regular check-ups are recommended.
Connor: Can you tell me more about healthy eating for diabetics?
Dr. Loftry: The American Diabetes Association recommends a very balanced diet. A diet that is balanced between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However, because everyone has different needs, there is no specific diet that is recommended for everyone. For example, if you have diabetes and heart disease, or diabetes and kidney disease, your diet will need to take all of these into account. Therefore, we recommend that you visit the American Diabetes Association webpage diabetes.org for additional guidance. Also, talk to your diabetes care provider and ask them to refer you to a dietitian so that you can receive a medical nutritional therapy that is truly tailored to your individual needs.
Connor: Dr. Loftry is grateful for this information about reducing the risk of diabetes complications.
Dr. Loftry: thank you.
Connor: This is Bobby from the radio studios at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Bobby Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to be an accurate representation of the original audio versions of our programs, but some inconsistencies and inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programs.
