Diabetes Advocate, Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown,who came to prominence as co-host of Yo! MTV Raps, opens up about his experience living with type 2 diabetes on Divabetic’s upcoming Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 6:30 -8 PM, EST.
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Doctor Dré (aka André Brown) has publicly battled type 2 diabetes and has been outspoken to his fans about his condition.
“I’m a type 2 diabetic who lost his vision.”
Diabetic eye disease, caused by diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss. Because of the high risk for eye disease, all people with type 2 diabetes should receive an annual dilated eye exam.
A 2019 Vision Source study of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that more than 50% had issues with their vision in the past year, and 34% did not go for a professional eye exam. The major barriers to having an annual eye exam included not thinking they needed one (33%), unsure of where to go (25%), lack of insurance, (22%) and expense (22%).
Comprehensive eye exams are key to overall wellness and preserving a high quality of life. In addition to evaluating vision, annual eye exams can detect serious health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and even cancer.
Regardless of his diabetes health-related challenges, his attitude remains upbeat and inspiring.
“I’ve been going through a whole different resurgence in my life,” Dre said. “I stopped at one point, and now I’m doing this. Through the blessings of the late great Dick Gregory, I’ve worked through holistic doctors to change what goes in my body.”
Brown clarified that he’s not completely blind, and has undergone retina reattachment surgery. The resulting scar tissue causes his vision to fluctuate. As a result, he’s currently more focused on higher factors.
We’re celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as vision loss) on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 6:30 -8 PM, ESt.
Guests include Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown, Nat Adderley Jr., Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, Michelle Cobbs, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE. Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album, ‘The Night I Fell In Love’ courtesy of SONY Music.