Many diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes may actually have a different form of the disease

Phyllisa Deroze, an English professor, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in a Fayetteville, North Carolina, emergency room. However, eight years later, she discovered that she has Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults (LADA), a form of the disease that isn't clearly outlined in typical diabetes literature. Patients are often misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and spend years trying to treat the wrong condition. As per Jason Gaglia, an endocrinologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, nearly 10% of patients diagnosed with Type 2 might have LADA.

Deroze and three other Black women diagnosed with LADA shared their experiences of misdiagnosis and not receiving the necessary treatments to manage their condition, as it wasn't correctly recognized. They also voiced concerns about whether their race might have played a role in the misdiagnosis. The U.S. health care system has been criticized for racial bias, and a recent KFF survey showed that 55% of Black adults felt a need to alter their appearances to receive appropriate medical treatment.

According to Kathleen Wyne, an endocrinologist who leads the adult Type 1 diabetes program at Ohio State University, misconceptions about race, age, and weight often lead to LADA patients being misdiagnosed. LADA progresses slowly, making it challenging to diagnose. There's a general assumption that people above 30 suffering from obesity or having a family history of Type 2 diabetes would most likely have Type 2 but, LADA reveals itself over time.

Houston resident Mila Clarke was eventually diagnosed with LADA in November 2020 after struggling to control her blood sugar for over four years. Despite making lifestyle changes and taking oral medications, her sugar levels remained high. She finally got tested for Type 1 antibodies, which confirmed LADA. On receiving the correct diagnosis, Clarke felt that she was treated differently and received proper management measures, including insulin injections. Clarke expressed concerns about the difficulty faced by women of color in advocating for their needs in the healthcare system.

In 2019, Deroze was finally tested for antibodies after requesting the tests for two years. The results came back positive, confirming her LADA diagnosis. Despite her academic qualifications, Deroze felt overlooked due to her race and body size. Now residing in Miami, Deroze expressed concern regarding the delay and struggle she faced in receiving accurate diagnosis and treatment.