Meet the Experts

Dr. Jorge Busse

Nephrologist with Baptist Health South Florida

Videos

Sugar-Free Diet And Diabetes

Dr. Jorge Busse, Nephrologist with Baptist Health South Florida, says sugar is one form of carbohydrate, and just because a product is sugar-free, it doesn't mean it is not necessarily carbohydrate free. "We are what we do and what we eat. If I know I have a propensity for diabetes, I have to be on top of things and I have to be very informed, if you're not you're going to suffer the consequences," he explains.

Learning About Kidney Failure

Dr. Jorge Busse, Nephrologist with Baptist Health South Florida, explains kidneys are connected to the bladder by the ureters. "If you are lacking calcium, you will not excrete it properly and you will keep it in your body," he says. He also points out kidneys do a lot of filtering of the blood, and they also regulate blood pressure, but basically they maintain your internal bloodstream free of toxins and control abnormalities.

Warning Signs Of Diabetes

Dr. Jorge Busse, Nephrologist with Baptist Health South Florida, explains if you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is not urgent to be referred to a nephrologist: "Most of the time the kidneys initially will not be affected and usually the primary care physician will determine whether you need referral to a nephrologist or not". He says there are symptoms that can be attributed to diabetes, for example, with high sugars you end up with frequent urination that results in being a little dehydrated; that is why thirst is a major issue in type 1.

Signs Of Diabetic Nephropathy

Some of the signs of kidney disease in patients with diabetes are high blood pressure, ankle and leg swelling, leg cramps, high levels of bun and creatinine in blood, weakness, paleness, and anemia. "Kidneys generally do not give you a lot of symptoms until you lose 90% of kidney function when it is too late, and that is why we have to rely on labs," says Dr. Jorge Busse, Nephrologist with Baptist Health South Florida.

Popular Myths About Diabetes

There are popular myths about diabetes. The first one is if you are overweight or obese, you will eventually develop type 2 diabetes. Dr. Jorge Busse, Nephrologist with Baptist Health South Florida, says if you are overweight and you do have the genes, you are most likely going to develop diabetes, but that doesn't mean that every overweight person will develop diabetes. Another one is that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. The doctor explains if you have the genes and glucose intolerance or resistance to insulin, it'll worsen your diabetes but not cause it.

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