Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults Presenting as Recurrent Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetes mellitus encompasses a spectrum of metabolic disorders characterized byhyperglycaemia, resulting from genetic and environmental interactions that impair insulinsecretion, glucose utilization, and production. The World Health Organization revisedits diabetes classification in 2019 to include six categories: Type 1 -insulin-dependent, Type2 -insulin-resistant, hybrid forms e.g., Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults -LADA andketosis-prone diabetes, other specific types, unclassified diabetes, and hyperglycaemia firstdetected during pregnancy. LADA is a hybrid form of diabetes characterized by gradualautoimmune beta-cell destruction, commonly misdiagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. Diagnosticcriteria include onset after 30 years, islet autoantibodies e.g., GAD, and delayed insulindependence. LADA risk factors include low BMI, autoimmune history, and progressivehyperglycaemia despite oral antidiabetic therapy. High-risk patients undergo GAD antibodytesting for confirmation. Accurate identification of LADA is essential for appropriatemanagement, as it bridges features of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.