One of the reasons Dr. Swetha Lahari Kommareddy became an endocrinologist is because she saw a lot of diabetes in her family when she was younger. “I grew up around people dealing with diabetes,” she explains. “And even at a young age I became interested in why some people were doing better with the disease and others weren’t. As a physician, it’s always fascinating to find out what’s wrong with someone and come up with an answer. I think that’s why I enjoy being an endocrinologist so much.”

At Reliant, Dr. Kommareddy practices general endocrinology with a focus on diseases of the thyroid and diabetes. She also treats obesity and adrenal gland disorders. Dr. Kommareddy also assists patients by performing ultrasounds for thyroid disorders and ultrasound-guided biopsies.

According to Dr. Kommareddy, the reason there has been such a big increase in type 2 diabetes lately is that people’s body mass index (BMI) has gone up so much, “If someone gains a lot of weight, their chance of developing diabetes is going to be much higher. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all diabetics are obese. There are a lot of genetic factors that can contribute. If you have a family history of diabetes, then your risk is much higher. Plus if you have metabolic syndrome, your risk is also higher. So there are a lot of factors contributing to diabetes.”

Dr. Kommareddy believes that the more she gets to know her patients, the better she is able to treat them. “For any patient, I try to understand their lifestyle. There could be financial and other familial limitations that might have an effect on their treatment. No matter what problem the patient is experiencing, I strive to come up with the best treatment options and help guide them to the choices that make sense for them.”

In her spare time Dr. Kommareddy enjoys reading, cooking Indian food and spending time with her family.