Prevalence and Correlates of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults in Tianjin, China

OBJECTIVE Data on latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) from population-based studies are sparse. We sought to investigate the prevalence and correlates of LADA. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 8,109 participants, who were aged ≥15 years and living in Tianjin, China, were assessed to identify individuals with type 2 diabetes (American Diabetes Association Criteria, 1997) and further to detect patients with LADA. LADA was ascertained by 1) the presence of type 2 diabetes and age ≥35 years, 2) the lack of a requirement for insulin at least 6 months after the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and 3) serum GAD antibody positivity. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS Of all participants, 498 (6.1%) were patients with type 2 diabetes. Of them, 46 (9.2%) were found to have LADA. The prevalence of LADA was 0.6% (46 of 8,109), and tended to increase with age up to 50-59 years in all participants. The odds ratios (95% CI) of LADA related to hypertension, family history of diabetes, waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.85, and major stressful events were 1.93 (1.02-3.65), 17.59 (9.08-34.06), 5.37 (2.31-12.49), and 4.09 (1.75-9.52), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of LADA is ∼9% in patients with type 2 diabetes. Hypertension, family history of diabetes, central obesity, and major stressful events may be associated with the occurrence of LADA.