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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to an endocrinologist, who specializes in diabetes, among other disorders, or a cardiologist, who specializes in heart disease.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance. This might include restricting your diet, such as for a fasting blood sugar test or a cholesterol test.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes. If you're monitoring your blood sugar or blood pressure at home, bring a record of the results, detailing the dates and times of testing.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Record your family medical history. In particular, note any relatives who have had diabetes, heart attacks or strokes.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor. Be clear about aspects of your diabetes or blood pressure management that you need clarification on.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For metabolic syndrome, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Are the symptoms I'm experiencing now related to metabolic syndrome or another condition?
- What kinds of tests do I need to best manage my conditions?
- What else can I do to protect my health?
- What are other options to manage the conditions causing metabolic syndrome?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Should I see another specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me?
- What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms that concerned you about the possibility that you have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
- Do you have a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or high cholesterol?
- Meigs JB. The metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance syndrome or syndrome X). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Metabolic syndrome. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_all.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Katzmarzyk PT, et al. The importance of waist circumference in the definition of metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:404.
- Steinberger J, et al. Progress and challenges in metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. Circulation. 2009;119:628.
- Grundy SM, et al. Diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome: An American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute scientific statement. Circulation. 2005;112:2735.
- Aim for a healthy weight. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- deKoning L, et al. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular events: Meta-regression analysis of prospective studies. European Heart Journal. 2007;28:850.
