Diabetes tests and checkups
Routine diabetes tests; Diabetes - preventionPeople who take control of their own diabetes care by eating healthy foods, living an active lifestyle, and taking medicines as prescribed often have good control of their blood sugar levels. Still, regular health checkups and tests are needed. These visits give you a chance to:
Diabetes
Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.
- Ask your health care provider questions
- Learn more about your diabetes and what you can do to keep your blood sugar in your target range
- Make sure you are taking your medicines the right way
See Your Doctor
See your diabetes provider every 3 to 6 months. During this visit, your provider should check your:
- Blood pressure
- Weight
- Feet
See your dentist every 6 months, also.
If you are taking insulin, your provider will also examine your skin to look for signs of reactions to insulin at your injection sites. These may be hard areas or areas where fat under the skin has formed a lump.
Your provider may also check your abdomen for signs of an enlarged liver.
Eye Exams
An eye doctor should check your eyes every year. See an eye doctor who takes care of people with diabetes.
If you have eye problems because of diabetes, you will probably see your eye doctor more often.
Eye problems because of diabetes
Diabetes can harm your eyes. It can damage the small blood vessels in your retina, which is the back part of your eye. This condition is called dia...
Foot Exams
Your provider should check the pulses in your feet and your reflexes at least once a year. Your provider should also look for:
- Calluses
- Infections
- Sores
- Thick toenails
- Loss of feeling anywhere in your feet (peripheral neuropathy), done with a tool called a monofilament
Peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral nerves carry information to and from the brain. They also carry signals to and from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Peripheral n...
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If you have had foot ulcers before, see your provider every 3 to 6 months. It is always a good idea to ask your provider to check your feet.
Check your feet
Diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels in your feet. This damage can cause numbness and reduce feeling in your feet. As a result, your fe...
Hemoglobin A1C Tests
An A1C lab test shows how well you are controlling your blood sugar levels over a 3-month period.
A1C lab test
A1C is a lab test that shows the average level of blood sugar (glucose) over the previous 3 months. It shows how well you are controlling your blood...
The normal level is less than 5.7%. Most people with diabetes should aim for an A1C of less than 7%. Some people have a higher target. Your doctor will help decide what your target should be.
Higher A1C numbers mean that your blood sugar is higher and that you may be more likely to have complications from your diabetes.
Cholesterol
A cholesterol profile test measures cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. You should have this kind of test in the morning, after not eating since the night before.
Cholesterol profile test
Cholesterol is a soft, wax-like substance found in all parts of the body. Your body needs a little bit of cholesterol to work properly. But too muc...
Adults with type 2 diabetes should have this test at least every 5 years. People age 40 or over with high cholesterol or on medicines to control their cholesterol may have this test more often.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is a high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is the most common f...
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure should be measured at every visit. Talk to your provider about what your blood pressure goal should be.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body. You can measure your blood pr...
Kidney Tests
Once a year, you should have a urine test that looks for a protein called albumin.
Urine test
This test looks for a protein called albumin in a urine sample. Albumin can also be measured using a blood test or another urine test, called the pro...
Your doctor will also have you take a blood test every year that measures how well your kidneys work.
Blood test
Kidney function tests are common lab tests used to evaluate how well the kidneys are working. Such tests include:BUN (Blood urea nitrogen) Creatinin...
References
American Diabetes Association. 4. Comprehensive medical evaluation and assessment of comorbidities: standards of medical care in diabetes-2022. Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S46-S59. PMID: 34964869 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34964869/.
Brownlee M, Aiello LP, Sun JK, et al. Complications of diabetes mellitus. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 37.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Your diabetes care schedule. www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/care-schedule.html. Updated May 25, 2021. Accessed August 26, 2022.
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HbA1c
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Monofilament test - illustration
A monofilament test is done to test for nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), which may be caused by conditions such as diabetes. The monofilament is a small strand of nylon attached to a plastic base. The provider uses this monofilament to check for loss of feeling on your foot.
Monofilament test
illustration
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Monofilament test - illustration
A monofilament test is done to test for nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), which may be caused by conditions such as diabetes. The monofilament is a small strand of nylon attached to a plastic base. The provider uses this monofilament to check for loss of feeling on your foot.
Monofilament test
illustration
Review Date: 4/29/2022
Reviewed By: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.