1. LADA, the Diabetes Between Type 1 and Type 2
LADA stands for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults and is also known by the nickname ‘Type 1.5 diabetes.’ As the names suggest, it is a special form of diabetes that has characteristics of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and is therefore often misdiagnosed as Type 2.
2. Characteristics of LADA
– Feature of Type 1 (Cause): Like Type 1 diabetes, the cause is an ‘autoimmune’ reaction where the immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas. Therefore, pancreas-related autoantibodies (e.g., GAD antibodies) are found in blood tests.
– Feature of Type 2 (Pattern): However, the destruction of pancreatic cells is not rapid like in Type 1 but progresses very slowly. For this reason, it usually develops in adults over the age of 30, and initially, blood sugar appears to be somewhat manageable with lifestyle changes or oral medications, much like Type 2 diabetes.
3. Why is an Accurate Diagnosis Important?
If initially misdiagnosed as Type 2 diabetes, medications that ‘squeeze’ the pancreas to produce more insulin might be used. This can exhaust the already struggling pancreas more quickly, actually hastening the need for insulin injections. Therefore, if a lean adult is diagnosed with diabetes, or if blood sugar control continues to worsen despite taking Type 2 diabetes medication, it is important to check for the possibility of LADA through an autoantibody test. Ultimately, just like people with Type 1, patients with LADA will eventually require insulin therapy.
Summary: LADA is an intermediate form of diabetes that is caused by autoimmunity like Type 1 but develops slowly in adulthood like Type 2. An accurate differential diagnosis is crucial.
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