Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults
| Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults | |
|---|---|
| Other names | LADA, late-onset autoimmune diabetes of adulthood, adult-onset autoimmune diabetes |
| Universal blue circle symbol for diabetes | |
| Pronunciation |
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| Specialty | Endocrinology |
Slowly evolving immune-mediated diabetes, or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), is a form of diabetes that exhibits clinical features similar to both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The concept of LADA was first introduced in 1993, though sometimes referred to as type 1.5 diabetes, it is defined under the rubric of T1D by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as an autoimmune form of diabetes. Studies have shown that LADA patients have certain types of antibodies against the insulin-producing cells, and that these cells stop producing insulin more slowly than in typical T1D patients. Since many people develop the disease later in life, it is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
LADA appears to share genetic risk factors with both T1D and T2D but is genetically distinct from both. Within the LADA patient group, a genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity has been observed with varying degrees of insulin resistance and autoimmunity.