Diabetologists are usually physicians with residency training in endocrinology that have completed specialized training in the subspecialty of diabetes – although physicians trained in other areas may also specialize in the treatment of diabetetes. These specialists are capable of providing comprehensive care for patients suffering from all types of diabetes.
The three major types of diabetes treated by diabetologists include: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, as well as other less common diabetic conditions. The tests employed to diagnose diabetes by these specialized endocrinologists include urine analyses, fasting blood glucose level tests, hemoglobin A1c tests, oral glucose tolerance tests, and non-fasting blood glucose level tests, among others.
The treatments provided by a diabetes specialist may include: suggesting and educating the patient on a healthier diet (which foods to eat and in what proportions, when to eat, etc.), suggesting the proper exercise regimen (what types of exercise, when to exercise, when to rest, etc.), the prescription of medications (such as insulin injections), blood pressure and cholesterol control treatments, instruction on self-testing of blood glucose levels and other related diabetes management techniques, although other treatments may be provided.
