Graduate Deltour Writes Article About Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults

Jennifer Deltour, a 2019 graduate of the Endocrinology Specialty certificate program, published the article "A Case of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults: A Less Common Form of Diabetes" in Clinical Advisor. 

Excerpt: Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults 

The most prevalent type of diabetes is T2D (type 2 diabetes), which accounts for approximately 90% to 95% of cases. Therefore, it is easy to suppose that middle-aged and older adults who present with new-onset diabetes have T2D. However, multiple recent studies indicate that between 5% and 10% of adults diagnosed with T2D may be misdiagnosed and may have LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults).

LADA is considered a subset of T1D (type 1 diabetes). In both T1D and LADA, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing β cells of the pancreas. However, in LADA, the disease progression is much slower than that of traditional T1D. One or more pancreatic autoantibodies will be positive, and C-peptide typically will be low in patients with LADA. Individuals with LADA also tend to be slimmer than patients with T2D, although patients with LADA can be overweight or obese. 

Patients with LADA have fewer metabolic features such as dyslipidemia and increased waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) than patients with T2D. Family or personal history of autoimmune diseases should prompt suspicion for LADA because the condition has a strong genetic component. Autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves disease), pernicious anemia and Addison disease are the most frequently co-occurring autoimmune diseases in patients with LADA.