LADA as Slow-Onset Type 1

LADA stands for latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. Latent means it can stay quiet at first. Autoimmune means the immune system attacks your own cells.

In LADA, the attack is on beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells make insulin. Insulin moves sugar from your blood into your cells.

Over time, fewer beta cells means less insulin.

A close-up of the pancreas shows six round beta cells giving off small insulin dots. Immune cells move in between them and ring four of them, then those four are gone and little insulin is left. Last, an insulin pen gives insulin from outside the body.

LADA shares features with classic type 1. Both involve an immune attack on beta cells, the cells that make insulin. A key difference is that LADA usually moves more slowly. It is like a slow walker next to a fast runner.

Experts do not all agree on where LADA fits. Some see it as its own type. Others see it as a slow form of type 1.

LADA can look like type 2 at first, so it is often missed. Type 2 usually has no immune attack, while LADA does.

Blood tests help doctors tell them apart. An antibody test looks for immune proteins that can target beta cells. A C-peptide test shows how much insulin the body still makes.

Only a doctor can make this diagnosis.

Key takeaways

• LADA is an autoimmune diabetes that often starts in adulthood.
• It shares features with type 1 but usually moves more slowly.
• It can look like type 2 at first, so antibody and C-peptide tests matter.

Try it

Before your next appointment, write down any tests your doctor has mentioned, and ask whether an antibody test could help.