A review on prevalence of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults

Abstract

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is a genetically, hereditary, autoimmune form of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) which thinks that its own body’s pancreas as foreign and act by harming and damaging the insu- lin-producing β-islet cells of the pancreas. Thus, LADA do not require insulin for first six months after estimation of diabetes. 10% of individuals those who are more than 35 years of age have phenotypic type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and in 25% below that age suffer from LADA. Patients have conserved pancreatic β-cell function in LADA than those with T1DM, still they show accelerated fall of β-cell function. In T2DM patient, LADA tends to become rapidly unresponsive to intervention with oral treatment and parenteral agents. Some patients, which are having islet cell autoantibodies (ICA) 59% and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA) 60%, are treated with insulin whereas others having ICA 4% and GADA 7% are not treated with insulin. GADA antibodies are used to predict future com- plete β-cell failure. LADA patients have absence of HLA-DQ protective genotypes. LADA is estimated by simple blood test, radioligand assay, indirect immunofluorescence test and radioimmunoassay. The major treatment for LADA is changes in life style, oral hypoglycemic agents such as sulfonylureas (SUs), metformin, or thiazolidine- diones (TZDs), and insulin.