Researchers have identified different variations of diabetes types. One of these is now called diabetes 1.5, but it is also known as slow onset type 1 diabetes or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults or LADA. Doctors usually diagnose this type of diabetes in adults rather than children. People with this form of diabetes may not immediately require insulin for treatment, are often not overweight, and have little or no resistance to insulin. When special lab tests are done, they are found to have a form of antibodies that attacks their beta cells. Some people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes actually have this form. They may have been told that they have type 2 diabetes because they were older when the diabetes was found. Knowing the type of diabetes you have will help you understand the kind of treatment that you will receive.
Actually, to make it even more confusing there are actually three different types of type 1 diabetes. These are type 1 diabetes or some people might call this 1A. Another is type 1B diabetes and this is what is known as idiopathic diabetes. The term idiopathic means it is a disease happened quickly without really knowing for certain what caused it to occur. This type of diabetes is not an autoimmune disease. People with type 1 B have an insulin deficiency and can experience a high blood sugar emergency or ketoacidosis, but their need for insulin may change over time. The last type is LADA. If a person has any of these three types of diabetes then they must have insulin shots. Many people today with any form of type 1 diabetes use some form of insulin pump that gives a continuous amount of insulin and can give a bigger dose when needed.
If you have symptoms, please see your doctor to see if you have diabetes.
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