This is true. LADA stands for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults and is sometimes called diabetes 1.5. Like type 1 diabetes, it occurs when the pancreas stops making insulin, but unlike type 1 it begins in adulthood. Because of its late, gradual onset, LADA can be mistakenly diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. LADA is diagnosed with a test called GADA, which looks for antibodies also present with type 1 diabetes.

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 happens when the body does not produce enough insulin, and type 2 happens when the body cannot use the insulin properly. Gestational diabetes happens during pregnancy. All types of diabetes affect blood sugar levels and need to be managed to prevent medical complications.

LADA is considered a subset of type 1 diabetes and causes the pancreas to not make enough insulin. It can often be misdiagnosed because of a lack of awareness and unclear diagnostic criteria. Patients may show symptoms that align with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Unlike type 2 diabetes, the patient often has antibodies that are also found with type 1.

Unlike type 1 diabetes, patients with LADA typically develop symptoms after age 30, and the pancreas stops producing insulin at a much more gradual rate. This can cause a misdiagnosis of type 2 diabetes which tends to occur later in life. A misdiagnosis of type 2 diabetes can result in treatment that does not properly control blood sugar levels.

Patients of color, particularly Black patients, are more likely than whites to be misdiagnosed due to racism in the healthcare system. This may be true for LADA and type two diabetes as well. If a patient suspects that they have LADA and are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, they can ask their doctor for a GADA antibody test.

LADA is not yet classified as a distinct kind of diabetes, and researchers are still trying to determine if it should be considered a later onset and more gradual form of type 1 diabetes, or its own unique type.

Researchers are still examining the best way to treat LADA, although current treatment methods are similar to that of type 1 diabetes.