**2. Epidemiology**

There is a big difference in the prevalence of type LADA DM among different population groups around the world. In North America it is estimated that 5–10% of new cases of DM in adult patients could correspond to this pathology [11].

In a UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), about 10% of adults with suspected type 2 diabetes at the time of diagnosis had evidence of islet autoimmunity in the form of circulating ICA or GAD antibodies and most progressed to dependence on insulin in 6 years [12]. See **Table 1**.

In Central America there are still no studies that describe the prevalence of LADA type Diabetes. In countries like Honduras, its diagnosis is based on the clinic; this reduces the credibility of the diagnosis, especially when there is not enough equipment to corroborate the presence or absence of the antibodies described above.

Given that an appreciable proportion of people with diabetes who do not require insulin have a high proportion of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), it has been concluded that the LADA type Diabetes is probably much more prevalent than the DM type 1 but less frequent than DM type 2 [24]. This in turn explains the reason for the use of Anti-GAD, in comparison with other antibodies, to detect type LADA DM among subjects diagnosed as DM type 2 [13, 25].


**Table 1.** Prevalence of positive glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (late autoimmune diabetes in adults) in subjects with type 2 diabetes among different population groups.
