Dr. Lina Arango shares culturally responsive strategies in the November “Cultural Responsiveness” blog

Boynton Beach, FL (November 17,  2025)- 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. Latinos are almost 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes compared to non-Hispanic Whites.1 “The majority (68%) of Latinos with diabetes have 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 diabetes2,” she adds.

Seeing firsthand the effects of poor diet and uncontrolled blood sugar helped Dr. Arango reshape her approach to patient care. “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 offers practical guidance on how optometrists can reinforce the connection between diabetes management and ocular health for their Hispanic patients—offering culturally relevant ways to improve patient understanding and compliance.

Dr. Arango’s blog is available on the Latinos en Optometry website at https://latinosenoptometry.org/news/cultural-responsiveness/.

About the Cultural Responsiveness Blog

Latinos en Optometry has collaborated with VSP Vision™ on the “Cultural Responsiveness” blog series. This initiative seeks to support both existing and prospective practitioners in understanding the importance of healthcare services that are responsive to the social, cultural, and linguistic requirements of patients. Individuals who are not members of Latinos en Optometry who would like to receive the complementary blog can subscribe at https://latinosenoptometry.org/newsletter/.

References:

  1. Hispanics and Latinos have higher risk for vision loss. Centers for Disease Control.  https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes
  2. Sprabary A. Eye disease in Latinos: Conditions, risks, and prevention.  All About Vision. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-disease-latino-communities/.