Diabetes Health Center

Diabetes Doctors and Other Health Care Providers

Diabetes is a lifelong, chronic condition. But with the right diabetes health care team, you can manage your diabetes and help prevent future medical problems resulting from high blood sugar.

There are two main goals when choosing your diabetes health care team:

• finding diabetes specialists to help you manage your blood glucose and keep it at safe levels
• finding specialists who can help you prevent or cope with diabetes complications

Because diabetes affects every system in your body, you'll want a range of diabetes specialists to help you maintain your health and well-being.

Diabetes and Your Primary Care Provider

Your regular doctor may be the first person to request that you be tested for diabetes. That request may be based on blood tests as well as symptoms you've had that could indicate diabetes. Symptoms that suggest diabetes include:

• blurred vision
• excess thirst
• fatigue
• frequent urination
• unusual weight loss

Once you're diagnosed, you'll need periodic testing to help prevent and manage complications of diabetes. Those tests will evaluate the following:

• A1C levels. The A1C test evaluates your glucose levels for the previous three months. You should have the A1C test twice a year -- or more often if your glucose test results are high.
• Blood pressure. High blood pressure combined with diabetes puts you at high risk for a heart attack or stroke. Your blood pressure should be checked at least once a year.
• Cholesterol . High levels of the "good" cholesterol, called HDL, and low levels of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, help lower your risk of heart attack and stroke when you have diabetes. Your cholesterol levels should be checked at least once a year.

Along with these tests, your doctor may advise pneumonia and flu shots and urine tests to check for kidney damage as well as other tests.

Your primary care provider may be an MD whose specialty is family practice, general practice, or internal medicine. Or it could be a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant in a doctor's office. Along with providing your yearly checkup, your primary care provider can refer you to local labs for blood work, diabetes specialists, and other resources for your care.

Diabetes and the Endocrinologist

The endocrinologist is the quarterback of your diabetes health care team. Sometimes called "diabetes doctors," endocrinologists are diabetes specialists trained to diagnose and treat medical conditions of the endocrine system. That includes the insulin-producing pancreas.

Your endocrinologist oversees your overall diabetes care. He or she will prescribe the right types and doses of diabetes medications, including insulin if you need it. He or she will also monitor your health for diabetes complications.

The endocrinologist schedules your diabetes checkups and blood glucose testing, depending on your needs, and refers you to other diabetes specialists as needed.