{"id":35809,"date":"2014-04-24T06:44:03","date_gmt":"2014-04-24T10:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?post_type=feature&p=35809"},"modified":"2016-01-10T08:02:33","modified_gmt":"2016-01-10T13:02:33","slug":"lada-and-gad-diagnosing-type-1-5-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809","title":{"rendered":"LADA and GAD: Diagnosing Type 1.5 Diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

Researchers in Germany have further endorsed the effectiveness of a blood test that helps determine whether some adult diabetics diagnosed as type 2 diabetes are actually in the early stages of having type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n

Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults (LADA) like type 1 diabetes, is an autoimmune response that that destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. It is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes because it looks and acts a lot like type 2\u2013 arising usually in adulthood and progressing slowly\u00ad\u2013 but, unlike type 2 diabetes, LADA results from the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells.<\/p>\n

A test for glutamic acid decarboxylase, or GAD, antibodies, has long been used as a method of differentiating between LADA (which is sometimes referred to at type 1.5 diabetes) and type 2 diabetes in people over age 30. With LADA as well as type 1 diabetes, the body\u2019s immune system begins to attack its own beta cells. When the immune system attacks pathogens, one weapon in its arsenal is the creation of antibodies that bind to the foreign objects and mark them as invaders. In the case of autoimmune diabetes, the body begins to create antibodies against parts of proteins that are not foreign, but rather are associated with its own beta cells. GAD is one of the earliest proteins to be targeted by antibodies, and so by testing for the presence of GAD antibodies, doctors can determine whether there is an autoimmune reaction to beta cells taking place.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt diagnosis, people with LADA usually do not require insulin right away because they are still producing some insulin,\u201d according to Christy L. Parkin, MSN, RN, CDE, Associate Editor of Diabetes Forecast<\/a><\/em>. \u201cBecause of their older age, they are often misdiagnosed as type 2 and started on oral medications. They may be normal weight or slightly overweight (not typical in type 2). LADA has characteristics of type 1 and may include insulin resistance, like type 2 diabetes. The main difference between LADA and type 2 is the autoimmune response, which is similar to type 1. The loss of beta cells is much more gradual in LADA than in type 1, though. It can take several years before blood glucose control starts to worsen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given the differences between the necessary treatments for LADA and type 2 diabetes, a good diagnostic tool is clearly needed. However, up until now, the effectiveness of GAD antibody testing as a diagnostic has not been completely endorsed by the scientific community. Researchers at the Institute of Diabetes Research at the Helmholtz Zentrum M\u00fcnchen, partners in the Deutsches Zentrum f\u00fcr Diabetesforschung (DZD – German Center for Diabetes Research) however, have concluded a study that recommends use of the test in diagnosing LADA.<\/p>\n

The study looked at reactions to injections of the GAD antibody in 46 LADA patients over 30 months. The subjects in the study were injected under the skin with different doses of GAD, or a placebo, producing an immune system reaction that impacted the insulin making beta cells. It was found that subjects with a strong reaction to the GAD antibody had correlating low insulin production.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur findings show that the GAD antibody affinity is a valuable \u2026 diagnostic marker in LADA patients,\u201d according to lead investigator Dr. Peter Achenbach. \u201cAs with childhood type 1 diabetes, we can forecast the progression of the disease and adapt the therapeutic measures accordingly. The antibody affinity should now also be taken into consideration in clinical studies involving LADA patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other testing for type 1.5 diabetes that may be used in conjunction with the GAD test to determine if a person has LADA include determining c-peptide levels to measure insulin production levels, and tests for islet cell antibodies.<\/p>\n

The supportive vote on GAD antibody testing is good news\u2013 it\u2019s estimated that 10 percent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have LADA (type 1.5), according to Dr. Jeff Unger, in the journal, American Family Physician<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

In many cases, people who are diagnosed with type 2 but who have LADA will experience higher and higher blood sugars as insulin producing cells die off and oral medications do little or nothing to properly control their levels. High blood sugars might also be accompanied with weight loss, a classic symptom of untreated type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n

There are no formally established treatment procedures for LADA, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>. Typically, however, patients diagnosed with LADA take insulin rather than oral diabetes medications, and otherwise treat their condition similarly to how they would be treated if they were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Once a diagnosis is made, the best option moving forward is to work with a physician to tailor a specific treatment plan.<\/p>\n

For some people, such as Caraline McLeod, the diagnosis makes a world of difference in how they care for themselves.<\/p>\n

Diagnosed with type 2, McLeod followed her doctor\u2019s advice on exercising to lose weight, taking oral medication, and testing her blood sugars on a regular basis. Even though she reached her target weight and got in better shape, her blood sugars inexplicably continued to rise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI carried a deep sense that part of the puzzle was missing,\u201d McLeod says in an interview with ABC Health and Wellbeing<\/a>. \u201cI became paranoid that some aspect of my lifestyle had contributed to this rapid progression, wondering if diet tonic water or my shampoo could be the hidden enemy. While I told myself that denial is one of the phases of grief and perhaps normal under the circumstances, I continued to obsess.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she learned about LADA, McLeod immediately went to her doctor for a GAD antibody test.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo weeks later the results came back strongly positive. Perhaps most people would have been unsettled with such a result, but I simply felt relief. In one fell swoop, my questions had been answered. I now knew why there had been no pre-diabetes and why exercise and diet had not spared me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was referred to an endocrinologist who confirmed type 1 diabetes, and who encouraged me to be proactive in my own treatment. Indeed, he confirmed what I’d already read \u2013 that starting insulin early might spare my remaining beta cells.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like McLeod, for many diabetics diagnosed with a condition they don\u2019t, in fact, suffer from, the correct diagnosis made though a GAD test provides the best chance for achieving improved long term health and happiness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Until now, the effectiveness of GAD antibody testing as a diagnostic has not been completely endorsed by the scientific community. Researchers at the Institute of Diabetes Research at the Helmholtz Zentrum M\u00fcnchen, partners in the Deutsches Zentrum f\u00fcr Diabetesforschung (DZD – German Center for Diabetes Research) however, have concluded a study that recommends use of the test in diagnosing LADA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":41985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1456,1445],"tags":[126,681],"yoast_head":"\nLADA and GAD: Diagnosing Type 1.5 Diabetes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alex O\u2019Meara\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809\",\"name\":\"LADA and GAD: Diagnosing Type 1.5 Diabetes\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/iStock_bloodtest.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-04-24T10:44:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-01-10T13:02:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/39a63c7215ee072a94bbc4a681de116d\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/iStock_bloodtest.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/iStock_bloodtest.jpg\",\"width\":848,\"height\":566,\"caption\":\"LADA and GAD: Diagnosing Type 1.5 Diabetes\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=35809#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"LADA and GAD: Diagnosing Type 1.5 Diabetes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\",\"name\":\"ASweetLife\",\"description\":\"The Diabetes Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/39a63c7215ee072a94bbc4a681de116d\",\"name\":\"Alex O\u2019Meara\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d46cda412d65fd79447ff39275a4856e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d46cda412d65fd79447ff39275a4856e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Alex O\u2019Meara\"},\"description\":\"Alex was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 36 years ago. 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