woman getting checked out by her doctor
ARTICLE

Diabetes Care: 15 Checks You Should Get Regularly

Reviewed by Claudia Levi, R.N.
December 17, 2024

Treatment for diabetes, including regular follow-up care, is meant to help prevent or delay complications. It’s important to attend your regular yearly visit and all follow-up visits as often as your doctor recommends. This can help you stay healthy and maintain your quality of life. Remember, these visits also give you the chance to ask your healthcare providers questions and to learn more about your condition.

Below is a list of common tests and how often your healthcare team should typically perform them. Your doctors may request these tests more frequently, or add additional tests depending on your circumstances. For example, the timing of follow-up appointments may vary, but they’re typically every three to six months depending on how you’re meeting your treatment goals.

Your healthcare providers may also order tests that aren’t on this list to best support your health.

health checks for people with diabetes

Here’s what to know about these tests, screenings, and exams:

  • A1C test: Also called an HbA1C or hemoglobin A1C test, this blood test checks your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. Your results help you and your doctor decide the best ways to manage your condition.
  • Lipids and cholesterol check: A blood test called a lipid panel will tell your doctor what your cholesterol levels are, whether you’re at higher risk of heart disease, and whether you should be taking a statin medication.
  • Liver function test: Diabetes can sometimes damage your liver and lead to fatty buildup. Regular blood test screenings help you and your doctor keep an eye on your liver health and make lifestyle changes, including limiting alcohol, to help keep your liver healthy.
  • Thyroid function test: Diabetes can also put you at risk for thyroid disorders, and thyroid issues may also worsen your diabetes. Checking your thyroid function through a blood test can help you and your doctor address any issues if they come up.
  • Kidney function test: A blood test called estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) can help your doctor estimate your kidney function, which matters because of the risk of kidney disease with diabetes. If your results are normal, you’ll have this test once a year. Otherwise, you may need testing twice per year.
  • Potassium levels: If you take certain medications, your doctor will check your blood levels of potassium. Potassium plays an important role in insulin production and blood glucose levels.
  • Creatinine test: This blood or urine test measures your levels of creatinine, which is a normal waste product that comes from using your muscles. Your kidneys are meant to filter it out of your body. If creatinine levels are higher than normal, that could indicate that your kidneys aren’t working as well as they should.
  • Vitamin B12 levels: If you take metformin, your doctor will likely check your vitamin B12 levels. That’s because metformin is associated with a B12 deficiency. It matters that you have enough of this vitamin in your body to help avoid complications like neuropathy (nerve issues), anemia (low red blood cell counts), and depression.
  • Urine screen: Testing a sample of your urine helps your doctor measure levels of a protein called albumin. If you have too much of it in your urine, it can be a sign of kidney damage. Early diagnosis and treatment can help you avoid chronic kidney disease.
  • Blood pressure check: High blood pressure from diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, vision loss, and more. Your doctor should check your blood pressure at every visit you have with them.
  • Weight measurement: Your healthcare provider can help determine whether you’re at a healthy weight, which can make managing diabetes easier. Your provider can also recommend strategies for weight management.
  • General skin check: Your doctor will look for any blisters, cuts, or sores that may be slow to heal and lead to further problems.
  • Foot check: Diabetes-related nerve damage can make it difficult to feel or notice injuries like sores and ulcers on your feet. Your doctor (or a foot specialist, if you have one on your care team) will examine your feet to help ensure they’re in healthy condition. You should also do self-exams on your feet every day.
  • Specialist eye exam: You should also see an eye doctor about every year to check your eye health. You’ll need to go more often if you show signs of eye problems like glaucoma or diabetic eye disease (damage to the blood vessels in the eye, which can cause blindness).
  • Dental exam: Diabetes increases the risk of gum disease. Gum disease can also increase the risk of kidney disease and heart disease. So, it’s important to see a dentist regularly (at least once per year) to check your oral health.

Sources:

American Diabetes Association. Health Checks for People with Diabetes. Retrieved November 14, 2024.

Biondi, B., et al. (2019) Thyroid Dysfunction and Diabetes Mellitus: Two Closely Associated Disorders. Endocrine Reviews.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) Type 2 Diabetes and Your Liver.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) Promoting Oral Health.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) Why Eye Exams Are Important.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) Your Diabetes Care Schedule.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) Your Feet and Diabetes.

Diabetes Care. (2021) The Management of Type 1 Diabetes in Adults. A Consensus Report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care.

MedlinePlus. (2023) Creatinine Test.

Sayedali, E., et al. (2023) Association between metformin and vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with type 2 diabetes. World Journal of Diabetes.

UCF Health. The Relationship Between Potassium and Diabetes. Retrieved November 14, 2024.