Lada diabetes, or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, is a form of Type 1 diabetes that occurs after the age of twenty-five versus in adolescence. Because of the age of onset, a doctor may attribute a person’s symptoms to being the result of Type 2 diabetes. Usually this diabetes is brought on by some genetic or environmental factor, such as an illness. This illness is an allergy to the person’s own body.
While the pancreas is responsible for producing insulin, the immune system views the cells inhabiting the pancreas as foreign bodies and attacks them. Due to this action, the pancreas is unable to have a steady supply of insulin. As insulin is needed for sugar absorption and energy conversion, people with this disease often feel weak and fatigued.
The person with lada diabetes usually does not have a weight issue, but they still need to be cautious regarding their caloric intake, quality of consumed foods, and physical activity. Even people who are thin may have poor eating and exercise habits. Because diabetics are prone to other ailments, such as heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, they should avoid smoking and reduce their alcohol consumption.
Lada Diabetes Symptoms
Lada diabetes symptoms may be hard for an individual to spot. The patient may not have any symptoms at all. They would have no reason to go to the doctor other than to schedule an annual exam. On the other hand, people may have had this disease for a while and did not know ithas numerous symptoms.
If the condition had been present for a while, the damage may be extensive. In that case, individuals could show obvious signs of this condition, but they may attribute the symptoms to a totally unrelated disease. For example, if a patient with undiagnosed lada and diabetes starts to have double vision or notices that they constantly need to go the bathroom, they may be under the false impression that they need glasses or have a bladder infection. The nerves in the occipital and urological region, however, are defective and thus, not functioning properly.
Other symptoms may include impaired kidney function, increased blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels, stroke, and chronic infections. It is crucial to schedule a doctor’s visit when an individual experiences any symptoms that are out of the ordinary.
Lada Diabetes Diagnosis
A lada diabetes diagnosis can be shocking to an individual, especially if they are not overweight and have no family history of Type 2 diabetes. If a person is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and they have no genetic link, this outcome should be the first signal that the diagnosis may be incorrect. As a high percentage of individuals are misdiagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, when they really have Type 2 diabetes, simply due to the age of onset and no other criteria.
Doctors can perform a blood test to check for levels of ICA, IAA, IA2, IgA, and HLA. These tests all compare the presence and levels of each antibody in the blood and can determine if an individual has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. For instance, C-Peptides will be low in Type 1 and LADA, but they will be moderately high in Type 2 diabetes. When a doctor or patient has any doubt, the doctor should conduct a blood test in order to recommend the correct lada diabetes treatment.
