News for Diabetic Patients

You should by now have received your diabetic hand held record, and find the information inside it useful.

Please bring it along to the diabetic clinic appointments, don't worry, we will fill in the table for you then!

Click here to email Dr Martin

Diabetic clinic now offers you at least two appointments per year. One will be with our practice nurse, the other with Dr Smart or Dr Martin.

This is in response to many patients making suggestions, mainly that they would be interested in more frequent testing and review of therapy.

You will be sent an appointment through the post with a form for a blood test. Please take an early morning urine sample to the hospital when you go for your blood test before the clinic. you can get a white topped urine bottle from the surgery if you do not already have one. This test (of kidney function) called urine albumin creatinine ratio, is now available for all age groups.

This also means you no longer need to bring a sample with you to the surgery clinic as well.

About Blood Tests

The blood test, as before, is a fasting test, you need to fast for 12 hours before the test. We are routinely checking your:

HbA1c (glycosylated haemoglobin - target less than 7%). This test is a reflection of your overall diabetic control over the last 3 months. Research shows if we can keep this below 7% there is much less chance of complications of diabetes developing. If the level is raised, we will think about a change in the diabetic therapy (diet, tablets and insulins).

Lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL). Targets: Cholesterol - less than 4.0 (but the lower the better)
Triglyceride - less than 2.0
HDL (high density lipoprotein "good cholesterol" - more than 1.0

Kidney function - as diabetes is known to cause problems here

Liver function - to monitor for drug side effects

Thyroid function - diabetics are more at risk of developing a problem here.

Link here to Diabetes UK website