Hidden 'type 1.5' diabetes affects millions of adults
Type 1.5 diabetes, or latent auto-immune diabetes (LADA), is a distinct form of diabetes that shares similarities with type 1 and 2 diabetes.
LADA is not a new form of diabetes, but it is somewhat rare, accounting for 3–12 per cent of all cases of diabetes in adults, and has been medically recognised since 1993.
Like type 1 and 2 diabetes, LADA is classed as a disorder of too much sugar, or glucose, in the blood, but it's often misdiagnosed, with a recent study suggesting that as many as 14 per cent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may actually have LADA.
Type 1.5 diabetes, or latent auto-immune diabetes (LADA), is not a new form of diabetes, but it is somewhat rare.
Summary
Author's summary: LADA affects millions of adults worldwide.
- Type 1.5 diabetes, or latent auto-immune diabetes (LADA), is a distinct form of diabetes.
- LADA shares similarities with type 1 and 2 diabetes.
- LADA is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes.