As a diabetic patient, you should know the importance of regular health checkups. According to a report done by UK’s National Diabetes Audit, there are three important health checks that you should be doing annually and without fail if you want to prevent serious complications from diabetes.
#1 – Blood Pressure Checks
High blood pressure contributes to the development of complications associated with diabetes. Uncontrolled hypertension could result in serious heart problems like heart failure caused by increased heart function and cardiomegaly. Chronic and uncontrolled hypertension can also result in cognitive problems like dementia as well as Alzheimer’s Disease.
As a diabetic, you should regularly check your blood pressure and see to it that it remains within normal limits, below 130/80 mmHg.
#2 – Cholesterol Checks
High cholesterol levels can result in a condition called diabetic dyslipidemia. This medical condition increases your risk for hypertension, heart problems, and stroke.
As a diabetic, you need to have regular cholesterol checks to make sure that your good cholesterol is up (60 mg/dL and above) and your bad cholesterol (below 100 mg/dL) is controlled and within normal limits. Additionally, your triglycerides should also be below 150 mg/dL.
#3- Kidney Function Checks
Diabetes, especially if it’s uncontrolled, can also lead to kidney disease. Statistics state that about 30% of patients with Type 1 diabetes and about 10% to 40% of those with Type 2 diabetes will go on to develop kidney problems and ultimately kidney failure. Should this happen, hemodialysis and kidney transplant will become necessary to prolong your life.
Why You Need These Checks
According to the National Diabetes Audit report, these three factors (hypertension, high cholesterol, poor kidney function) double the risk for early death within seven years, especially if you are of a working age. That’s why it’s very important that you regularly have these three health checks to assess your health status and prevent the development of serious complications at the same time.
