title: [Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults].
abstract: Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) is the term used to describe adults who have a slowly progressive form of diabetes mellitus (DM) of autoimmune etiology, but that may be treated initially without insulin. Although it shares some immunological and genetic aspects with type 1 DM, it affects an age group that is typically affected by type 2 DM. Therefore, it could be considered an intermediate type. Diagnosis is based on clinical and laboratory criteria: age of onset, initial response to oral hypoglycemic agents and the presence of specific antibodies for diabetes. Although the definitive treatment is insulin, glitazones may be useful in early stages of the disease. Currently, its management represents a challenge for the physician, including specialists, and it is a form of DM to keep in mind.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. fpollak@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vásquez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin