"Rethinking Type 2 Diabetes: The Possibility of Misdiagnosis"
Many individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes may actually have latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), a condition that is often misdiagnosed due to similarities in symptoms. LADA is an autoimmune disease akin to Type 1 diabetes and requires different treatment, including insulin injections. Misdiagnosis can lead to ineffective treatment and delayed proper care. The misdiagnosis issue may be exacerbated by implicit biases in healthcare, particularly affecting African American patients and other minoritized groups. Proper diagnosis can be confirmed through blood tests for antibodies, but these tests are not always conducted, leading to prolonged periods of mismanagement and potential health risks.
