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Comedy icon Damon Wayans has gone from spreading laughter to spreading awareness about diabetes risk.
The actor, best known for his roles in “In Living Color,” “Major Payne” and “My Wife and Kids,” has lived several years with his own case of type 2 diabetes, which runs in his family.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Wayans, 65, shared the moment he realized the condition should be taken seriously.
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“It was like 2017 and I just remember going to the bathroom and peeing so much that I thought maybe my blood was draining out, too,” he described. “And it kept happening and I’m just like – I’m not even drinking that much water.”
This frequent urination was followed by pain in his feet, numbness in his toes, delirium and blurry vision.
“My sister Kim made me go to the doctor because I probably wouldn’t have gone,” Wayans said.
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After the doctor revealed that Wayans’ blood sugar reading was at a critically high 535 mg/dL, he was “scared straight” into making some “serious” lifestyle changes.
“I used to drink wine, love wine. I don’t drink wine [anymore],” he said. “It’s a much healthier life I’m living, and I’m aware of all the joys that I have now that I just took for granted back when I wasn’t taking care of myself.”
Wayans said he stays “disciplined” with a healthy diet and works out every morning, involving a mix of weightlifting strength training using his own body weight, like burpees and yoga.
“I also wear a glucose monitor, so I know what exercise does to me [and] to my blood sugar,” he said. “I know if I lift weights, I feel better, and also I’m burning [calories] for the rest of the day.”
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While Wayans feels he has his routine under control, the risk of long-term diabetes complications still looms.
The entertainer recently teamed up with biotech company Genentech’s “All Eye on DME” campaign, a movement to spread awareness of diabetes-related vision loss.
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a complication of diabetes that can lead to vision loss, according to Genentech.
Although Wayans does not have DME himself, he continuously monitors his own symptoms, including depth perception issues, admitting he “needs to get [his] eyes checked.”
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“Sometimes God talks to you, and maybe this is something I needed to hear and be a part of in order to keep myself from going blind,” he added.
The condition occurs when fluid leaks from weakened or damaged blood vessels (called retinopathy), causing buildup in the macula, a small area in the middle of the retina that is responsible for clear vision.
If left untreated, the buildup can lead to partial or complete vision loss, according to Genentech.
DME, which can occur in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients, is the leading cause of vision loss in “working-age” diabetics.
The condition occurs in about 750,000 diabetics in the U.S., disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic populations, research shows.
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Some symptoms of DME include blurry or doubled vision, floaters or dark spots, difficulty seeing colors or objects when there’s a glare, seeing straight lines as curved or bent, or seeing objects as a different size when one eye is closed.
The condition can be diagnosed by an eye doctor via a visual acuity test, eye exam or optical imaging.
Wayans’ biggest piece of advice for diabetes patients is “don’t be afraid to see a doctor.”
“You’d be surprised at how simple the treatments are, but you can’t treat it if you don’t know what it is [and] if you never get diagnosed,” he said.
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“It’s important that we let our guard down and let our egos down and go conquer the fear, because the fear is all in your head.”
Wayans – a member of the iconic Wayans comedy family, including brothers Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, along with son Damon Wayans Jr. – said he hopes that doing his part to spread awareness for DME will help his family talk more openly about health.
“If they see that I’m not afraid, then maybe they’ll be less afraid,” he said. “And if I can go home and actually talk in-depth about treatments … especially if I got it done myself, I think they’ll be more receptive to it.”
Wayans acknowledged how cost and access obstacles can hold people back from seeking medical help.
“Even if you have to spend a little money now to get it under control, it’s worth it,” he said. “Because there’s so much life to live, unless you do nothing.”
