LADA stands for Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA); it is slow onset of type 1 diabetes in adults. LADA progresses more slowly than type 1 diabetes. Adults with LADA may initially be diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes based on their age, particularly if they have risk factors for type 2 diabetes such as a strong family history or obesity. The diagnosis is based on the finding of high blood sugar together with the clinical impression that islet failure rather than insulin resistance is the main cause; detection of a low C-peptide and raised antibodies against the islets of Langerhans support the diagnosis. It can only be treated with the usual oral treatments for type 2 diabetes for a certain period of time after which insulin treatment is usually necessary, as well as long-term monitoring for complications. However, most patients eventually require insulin. Type 1.5 patients usually face a lower risk for heart problems than type 2 patients who have the characteristic high cholesterol and blood pressure.
MODY is a rare form of diabetes which is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and runs strongly in families. MODY is caused by a mutation (or change) in a single gene. If a parent has this gene mutation, any child they have, has a 50% chance of inheriting it from them. The MODY are generally diagnosed under the age of 25. MODY patients are generally thin and usually in their teens or twenties and they treat their disease with diet and, if necessary, with diabetes oral medications.