Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Diabetes, Kidney and Blood Pressure
Quick answer: You do not need to know which test to order — that is your doctor’s job. What you can do is ask four things about every result: what is my number, what was it last time, what is my target and why, and if it is off what happens next. Below are the checks worth confirming at your next visit, for diabetes, kidney disease and blood pressure.
I have sat in these appointments. I have been the person nodding at a number on a screen I did not understand, then going home and googling it at midnight. The thing that changed my care was not a new test. It was learning to ask what the number actually was and what it was last time.
So this is not a list of tests you should demand. It is a list of things worth confirming have been checked, and the words to use when you ask.
The one line that keeps this safe: has this been checked? If not, what would it change?
If the answer is “no, and it wouldn’t change anything”, that is a real answer and often a good one. If the answer is “no, we should”, you have just caught something that was about to be missed.
The four questions about any result
These work on every test, at every appointment, in every condition. They are the part almost nobody is told.
- “What is my number?” Not “is it okay” — the actual value, written down where you can keep it.
- “What was it last time?” One result is a snapshot. The direction is the story.
- “What is my target, and why that one?” Targets are individual. Yours may differ from the one on a poster because of your age, your kidneys, or another condition.
- “If it is off, what happens next?” The plan, the interval, and the reason.
Write the answers on one card. Bring the card next time. That card is worth more than any app.
Type 2 diabetes — what to confirm
| What to ask about | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|
| A1C — last value, and how often it is being done | Commonly every 3 months while things are being adjusted, every 6 months when stable. Ask which one applies to you and why. |
| Kidney check — eGFR and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) | Both, not just creatinine. A normal creatinine on its own does not rule out kidney disease. |
| Lipids — cholesterol panel | Usually at diagnosis, then according to your risk. Ask when yours was last done. |
| Blood pressure at every visit, measured properly | Sitting for 5 minutes, right cuff size, average of readings — not one rushed number on the way out. |
| Feet — sensation and circulation | Usually at least once a year, plus a look at shoes and skin at each visit. This is the check most often skipped and the one that prevents the worst outcomes. |
| Eyes — dilated retinal exam | Usually at diagnosis, then every 1–2 years. A screening photo is not the same as a dilated exam. |
| Weight and waist — the trend, not one number | The direction over months tells you more than any single weigh-in. |
| Medication review | What each pill is for, whether any of them can cause lows, and whether vaccinations (flu, pneumococcal, hepatitis B) are up to date. |
Chronic kidney disease — what to confirm
| What to ask about | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|
| Both tests, every time: eGFR + urine ACR | Guidelines are explicit that a normal creatinine alone does not exclude kidney disease. Ask for both by name. |
| How often you are retested | Retesting depends on your risk category — roughly once a year at lower risk, up to three or four times a year at higher risk. Ask which applies to you. |
| Your stage and the trend | “What is my GFR stage, and is the number falling?” A stage is a label; a trend is information. |
| Blood work beyond creatinine — hemoglobin, bicarbonate, calcium, phosphate (and PTH as CKD advances) | These are the numbers that change as kidney function changes, and they are often not on the same requisition. |
| Medication dose check | Some drugs are dosed by kidney function. Ask specifically about NSAIDs and ibuprofen, and about anything marketed as “kidney-safe”. |
| Blood pressure and protein in the urine | These are the two levers that most change the course of kidney disease. If they are not being tracked, that is the conversation. |
| The referral question | “At what point would you send me to a nephrologist?” Commonly around an eGFR under 30, or a number falling fast. Ask now, so you are not surprised later. |
High blood pressure — what to confirm
| What to ask about | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|
| How the reading was taken | Validated automated device, seated, arm supported, 5 minutes rest, average of at least two readings. A single hurried reading can be wrong in either direction. |
| Out-of-office confirmation | Home readings or a 24-hour monitor. Office readings alone misclassify a lot of people — in both directions. |
| The home protocol | 7 days, 2 readings in the morning and 2 at night, written down, average brought to the visit. Not one reading the night before. |
| Annual labs | Creatinine/eGFR, sodium and potassium, fasting lipids, and a urine ACR. |
| An ECG, if you have not had one | And what it showed, in plain words. |
| Your target, and why it is that number for you | Targets shift with diabetes, kidney disease and age. Ask what yours is and what it is based on. |
| What changes the plan | Weight, salt, alcohol, sleep apnea — and which medication, and why that one rather than another. |
The home blood pressure protocol, written out
This is the piece most people have never been shown, and it is the piece that makes an office visit mean something.
- Seven days in a row, not one day.
- Two readings in the morning before coffee or medication, one minute apart.
- Two readings at night before bed.
- Sit still for five minutes first, back supported, feet flat, arm at heart height, cuff on bare skin.
- Write every number down, including the ones you do not like.
- Bring the average, not the best one.
When this list is the wrong tool
A checklist is for a calm appointment. If any of these happen, skip the list and get care now: chest pain, trouble breathing, passing little or no urine, confusion or unusual drowsiness, a very high blood pressure reading with symptoms (severe headache, chest pain, vision change, weakness), or sudden loss or change of vision.
Do not order your own tests online. Do not stop or change a medication on your own. Both of those have hurt people who were trying to do exactly the right thing.
Print it and take it in
Use the print button below — it strips the site layout and prints just the checklists, in black and white, on plain paper.
Want the one-page version for your next appointment? Leave an email and the printable downloads right away: one page per condition, the four questions at the top, and room to write your numbers in.
One quick step and the printable downloads right away. No email needed if you use the direct link below.
Prefer not to give an email? Download the printable directly.
Full pack (4 pages)KidneyDiabetesBlood pressure
Sources
The intervals and tests above are not my opinion. They come from these, and each one is checkable:
- Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines — screening and complication screening chapters.
- BC Guidelines: Diabetes Care (revised May 2026) — the 3-month / 6-month A1C interval.
- KDIGO 2024 CKD guideline — test eGFR and urine ACR in people at risk and with CKD; CKD is defined as GFR under 60 and/or ACR of 30 mg/g (3 mg/mmol) or more, persisting over 3 months; retesting interval set by risk category.
- Hypertension Canada (2025/2026) — validated automated device, standardized measurement technique, out-of-office confirmation, and the 130/80 threshold with a validated device.
Small print, and it matters: this page is patient education, not a diagnosis and not a treatment plan. It does not replace your doctor, and it is not a reason to change anything you have been prescribed. The guideline is the authority here, not me — and your doctor may have a specific reason for a different interval or a different target. Ask them what it is. That is the whole point of the page.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask about my test results?
Four work on every test: what is my number, what was it last time, what is my target, and if it is off, what happens next. One result is a snapshot. The direction is the story, and targets are individual because of your age, your kidneys, or another condition.
How do I ask my doctor whether something has been checked?
The one line that keeps this safe: has this been checked? If not, what would it change? If the answer is no, and it wouldn't change anything, that is a real answer and often a good one. If the answer is no, we should, you just caught something.
How should I take blood pressure readings to bring in?
Seven days in a row, not one day, with two readings in the morning before coffee or medication and two at night before bed, one minute apart. Sit still for five minutes first, back supported, feet flat, arm at heart height, cuff on bare skin, and bring the average.
Should I order my own tests online?
No. Do not order your own tests online, and do not stop or change a medication on your own. Both of those have hurt people who were trying to do exactly the right thing. You do not need to know which test to order, because that is your doctor's job.
When should I skip the checklist and get care now?
A checklist is for a calm appointment. Skip it and get care now for chest pain, trouble breathing, passing little or no urine, confusion or unusual drowsiness, a very high blood pressure reading with symptoms, or sudden loss or change of vision.
Want the complete system?
This guide is based on Hardy's ebooks — plain-language, step-by-step PDFs you can read in one sitting. See all guides
Educational content only — not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always work with your care team.