Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults: are we paying sufficient attention?

Heterogeneity has been recently highlighted as a relevant characteristic of diabetes mellitus. The current classification of diabetes mellitus includes two main types of the disease, i.e. type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The latter is by far the most prevalent one. Nevertheless, there is a significant proportion of subjects with autoimmune diabetes mellitus that are classified as type 2 diabetic patients. These patients are usually known to carry latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). As this subtype of diabetes is not accepted in the current classification of diabetes mellitus, subjects with LADA are classified as type 2 diabetes based on their clinical phenotypic characteristics. However, from the clinical point of view, it is really relevant to adequately characterize these diabetic patients. The criteria traditionally accepted by clinicians for the diagnosis of LADA are based on previous consensus: presence of classical type 1 diabetes-associated circulating antibodies, age at diagnosis of at least 30 years, and treatment with non-insulin hypoglycaemic agents during the initial 6 months of the disease. However, the age and treatment requirements are clearly arbitrary in nature. For