Diabetes is a significant and serious chronic ailment that can lead to a number of medical complications including heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, impaired vision, poor circulation, and more. A balanced healthy lifestyle and compliance with modern medical care can make a real difference in reducing the risk of complications. Part of this involves having regular medical check-ups to identify any issues early so that further complications can be avoided. So what check-ups are needed? This is, of course, quite variable between different people/patients but this list might serve as a rough-guide for most diabetics…
Once a year
- General Medical (General Medical Practitioner or Physician):
- Physical examination
- Kidney Function Tests (U&E)
- Full Blood Count (FBC)
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Fasting Lipogram (cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides)
- Stress Electrocardiogram (stress ECG)
- Further referrals as appropriate
- Ophthalmologist – will screen for diabetic eye disease (retinopathy), eyesight, cataracts, glaucoma
- Podiatrist – will screen feet for any early neuropathy (neurological disease) or foot ulcers, corns, calluses etc and will direct in proper foot care
Every six months:
- Physical examination
- Blood pressure
- HbA1c (glycosylated haemoglobin) – this simple laboratory blood test is perhaps the best measure of long-term blood sugar control, and diabetic “wellbeing”.
- Blood glucose
- Urine dipstix for protein
- Urine dipstix for microalbumin
Other:
- Carotid Doppler (ultrasound of neck blood vessels)
- Renal ultrasound (ultrasound to assess kidneys)
- Specialist referral as and if appropriate
This list will NOT be appropriate for everyone of course, but is perhaps best used as a starting point for a discussion with your own doctor as you develop a personal diabetes check-up plan for yourself.
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