Each year, you’ll get a series of physical exams and lab tests for your diabetes. We’ve covered them in detail earlier in this chapter, but we’ll also outline them here in checklist form.
Physical exams and appointments
- Weight and height measurements for calculating BMI (every visit)
- Blood pressure measurement (every visit)
- Foot check with diabetes care provider (every visit) or podiatrist (once a year or more often if you have problems)
- Setting goals for food and exercise with diabetes care provider, nurse, physician assistant, or CDE (once a year or more often)
- Discussion of medications, old and new, as well as refills of prescriptions (every visit)
- Comprehensive dilated eye exam by optometrist or ophthalmologist (once a year; every other year if your eye specialist recommends)
- Teeth cleaning (every 6 months) and mouth exam (once a year) by dental hygienist and dentist, as a general rule
- Ankle-brachial index test if you have signs of PAD (as needed)
Lab tests
- A1C test, by diabetes care provider (blood test/2–4 times a year)
- Cholesterol measurements for LDL and HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (fasting blood test/every 5 years or more often as needed)
- Serum creatinine/eGFR (blood test/once a year)
- Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (urine sample/once a year)
