Atypical diabetes

Type 1 diabetes onset may be more common during adulthood than previously thought, which could increase the risk for it being misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults is associated with similar risks for mortality and cardiovascular disease and an increased risk for retinopathy compared with type 2 diabetes.

Research suggests that people with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults and high levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than those with lower autoantibody levels.

Reductions in the function of islet beta cells within the pancreas occur in two distinct phases among individuals with latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA), Chinese researchers report.

Optimal glycemic control during the first years after a latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood diagnosis could prevent people’s microvascular complication risk from equaling that seen in those with type 2 diabetes, shows an analysis of the UKPDS.

Ramu D et al. J Diabetes 2018. doi: 10.1111/1753‐0407.12879

The UKPDS has so far generated an astonishing 93 original research papers. medwireNews​​​​​​​ rounds them up.

Being overweight or obese is associated with a significantly increased risk for the development of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, especially when combined with a familial history of diabetes, population-based study data show.

Hjort R et al. Diabetologia 2018; 61: 1333–1343. doi: 10.1007/s00125-018-4596-0

Researchers have identified five clusters of adult diabetes patients that have distinctly different disease progression and risk for complications.

Around two in five cases of type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in patients older than 30 years but may be hard to spot against the background of high type 2 diabetes prevalence, show findings from the UK Biobank.

Page C et al. Clin Diabetes Endocrinol 2017; 3: 11. doi: 10.1186/s40842-017-0049-9

Editorial Board member Jay Shubrook highlights an easy-to-miss form of the disease and challenges you to make the correct diagnosis.

Nat Rev Endocrinol 2017; 13: 674–686. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2017.99

Desai M et al. Diabetologia 2007; 50: 68–73. doi: 10.1007/s00125-006-0513-z