All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular and Microvascular Diseases in Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults

OBJECTIVE: Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is a heterogenous, slowly progressing autoimmune diabetes. We aim to contribute new knowledge on the long-term prognosis of LADA with varying degrees of autoimmunity by comparing it to type 2 diabetes and adult-onset type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This Swedish population-based study included newly diagnosed LADA (n = 550, stratified into LADA(low) and LADA(high) by median autoimmunity level), type 2 diabetes (n = 2,001), adult-onset type 1 diabetes (n = 1,573), and control subjects without diabetes (n = 2,355) in 2007–2019. Register linkages provided information on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and clinical characteristics during follow-up. RESULTS: Mortality was higher in LADA (hazard ratio [HR] 1.44; 95% CI 1.03, 2.02), type 1 (2.31 [1.75, 3.05]), and type 2 diabetes (1.31 [1.03, 1.67]) than in control subjects. CVD incidence was elevated in LADA(high) (HR 1.67; 95% CI 1.04, 2.69) and type 2 diabetes (1.53 [1.17, 2.00]), but not in LADA(low) or type 1 diabetes. Incidence of retinopathy but not nephropathy was higher in LADA (HR 2.25; 95% CI 1.64, 3.09), including LADA(high) and LADA(low) than in type 2 diabetes (unavailable in type 1 diabetes). More favorable blood pressure and lipid profiles, but higher HbA(1c) levels, were seen in LADA than type 2 diabetes at baseline and throughout follow-up, especially in LADA(high), which resembled type 1 diabetes in this respect. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having fewer metabolic risk factors than type 2 diabetes, LADA has equal to higher risks of death, CVD, and retinopathy. Poorer glycemic control, particularly in LADA(high), highlights the need for improved LADA management.