Routine health maintenance for a patient with type 2 diabetes includes which of the following actions?

Routine health maintenance for a patient with type 2 diabetes includes which of the following actions?

• A. Check HbA1c and annually assess lipid profile, BP, smoking status, liver function tests, kidney function (protein in urine), and annual eye exams and foot checks.
• B. Only measure fasting plasma glucose at visits.
• C. Initiate insulin therapy regardless of control.
• D. Focus solely on weight loss strategies.

Answer: (A)

Routine health maintenance for type 2 diabetes centers on regular assessment of long-term glycemic control and proactive screening for complications and risk factors. HbA1c provides an average blood glucose level over the past 2–3 months and guides treatment decisions, not just checking a single glucose value at visits. Alongside this, annual screening covers lipid levels, blood pressure, smoking status, liver function, and kidney function with protein in the urine, plus annual eye exams and foot checks. These elements are all essential because diabetes raises cardiovascular risk, so monitoring and managing lipids and blood pressure helps reduce complications. Smoking cessation counseling addresses a modifiable risk factor. Liver function testing can catch hepatic effects or fatty liver disease that often accompanies diabetes, while kidney screening detects early nephropathy through urinary protein, enabling early interventions like optimizing blood pressure. Annual eye exams detect retinopathy early, and regular foot checks help prevent ulcers from neuropathy. The other approaches miss important aspects: relying only on fasting glucose fails to reflect overall control and complication risk; starting insulin regardless of control isn’t appropriate without indication; and focusing solely on weight loss neglects ongoing monitoring and screening for complications.

Routine health maintenance for type 2 diabetes centers on regular assessment of long-term glycemic control and proactive screening for complications and risk factors. HbA1c provides an average blood glucose level over the past 2–3 months and guides treatment decisions, not just checking a single glucose value at visits. Alongside this, annual screening covers lipid levels, blood pressure, smoking status, liver function, and kidney function with protein in the urine, plus annual eye exams and foot checks.

These elements are all essential because diabetes raises cardiovascular risk, so monitoring and managing lipids and blood pressure helps reduce complications. Smoking cessation counseling addresses a modifiable risk factor. Liver function testing can catch hepatic effects or fatty liver disease that often accompanies diabetes, while kidney screening detects early nephropathy through urinary protein, enabling early interventions like optimizing blood pressure. Annual eye exams detect retinopathy early, and regular foot checks help prevent ulcers from neuropathy.

The other approaches miss important aspects: relying only on fasting glucose fails to reflect overall control and complication risk; starting insulin regardless of control isn’t appropriate without indication; and focusing solely on weight loss neglects ongoing monitoring and screening for complications.