Important Preventive Care Services for Patients with Diabetes at St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Dr. James Uebel is an internal medicine doctor at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. He sees patients in Southgate.
Q: What is a wellness exam for people with diabetes and why are they important?
A: With diabetes, it’s often impossible to know things are going wrong unless we evaluate a person’s health every year. The wellness exam can identify problems early, which allows us to manage symptoms and reduce diabetes risk so they don’t cause negative effects later in life. During this exam, we focus on screening your eyes, kidneys and heart.
Q: How do you monitor eye health during this exam?
A: The main disease process we monitor for on our annual wellness exam in the eyes is called diabetic retinopathy. Previously, we required a referral to an eye specialist to complete this test, which often included dilating your eyes. Now, we can complete this evaluation in our clinic on the same day as the annual wellness exam. Undergoing this test can help reduce your chance of vision loss in the future.
Q: How do you monitor kidney health during this exam?
A: To check your kidneys, we test your urine to ensure it doesn’t contain protein. If protein is present, it could be a sign of diabetic nephropathy, also known as diabetic kidney disease. It occurs when prolonged high blood sugar levels damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to kidney dysfunction. Once we identify protein in the urine of a diabetic patient, we can initiate multiple medications to slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease and substantially decrease the likelihood of dialysis in the future.
Q: How do you monitor heart health during this exam?
A: We focus on managing the risk factors associated with heart disease during annual wellness visits. Along with making sure your blood sugar has been at goal during your visit by checking your A1c, we also monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure levels. If either of these are elevated, we can make changes to your medication regimen that will decrease the likelihood of developing heart disease in the future.
Q: What happens if you find something concerning during a diabetic wellness exam?
A: Here at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we’re a one-stop shop. We’re often able to perform additional testing right in the office. If the results of your A1c are concerning and require immediate action, we can seamlessly refer you to an expert on diabetes called an endocrinologist. Through a system in place, we can make sure you are seen by this diabetes expert the same week.
Q: When should a person with diabetes see their doctor outside the annual wellness visit?
A: If you’re checking your blood sugar at home and the number is increasing, call your primary care doctor. Don’t wait and risk causing damage to your body. Be proactive and get ahead of the problem.
Q: What is currently on the horizon for diabetes care?
A: GLP-1 medications are currently at the forefront of diabetes care. GLP-1 are medications that help your body produce more of its own insulin and decrease the amount of hunger you feel. They also have a variety of long-term health benefits, including:
- Decreased risk of heart disease.
- Lessened likelihood of needing dialysis in the future.
- Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Weight loss.
Learn more about diabetic care at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
