GAD antibodies and going on to develop LADA

[LucySW]

Chris Kresser is a functional medicine/holistic/paleo advocate in California who has quite a nice blog. He quite impresses me because he's nuanced and flexible (Andreas Eenfeldt likes him too). Anyway, here is the transcript of a podcast he just gave on whether you can delay the onset of LADA once you've tested positive for GAD. Basically he doesn't answer the Q. He just says, Well, drop all the toxins and make sure you haven't got leaky gut, and it may never develop.

But what he says about the predictive value of the the GAD test is interesting. See below for quote. He implies that if you fix your diet (AKA control carbohydrates, manage your post-meal spikes, exercise) and do his other far-out anti-stress stuff, the predictive value might be significantly less than 50-80%. Generally he gets his research right. So this interests me - particularly as after five months of bolusing to get rid of post-meal spikes, my little pancreas seems at the moment ma sha allah to have recovered a bit of function.

He says:

"For example, some models show that having three positive antibodies implies a risk of between about 50% and 85% over five years that the patient will develop the clinical signs of type 1.5 diabetes or 65% to 85% chance over 10 years. So with three positive antibodies, that’s a relatively high chance that within 10 years you would develop the clinical signs of type 1.5 diabetes. However, there are a few studies that put it even higher than that. I saw one model that estimated that 100% of people with three positive antibodies will go on to develop the onset of autoimmune diabetes within five years. So, one antibody appears to be moderately predictive. With three antibodies, the risk is anywhere between 50% and 100% in five years, depending on what study you look at."
​

Lucy

 

[Lesleywo]

Interesting read .... I don't think it's possible to predict whether someone with Gad antibodies will develop LADA (God knows I've asked enough people enough times!) It seems you can have antibodies for various conditions but there's not an actual attack going on (at the moment anyway). I found out 3 years ago that I'm Gad + but my sugars are ok and my c-peptde looks ok (.75 - range .4-1.5) But I have been following a reduced carb diet for the last 12 months and reversed my insulin resistance. So who knows what they would be if I just ate what I wanted. I have a new endo I'm seeing on Wednesday so I shall ask him what my chances are but likely he won't be able to give me an answer. I guess it's just a wait and see approach .. but in the meantime I will be doing what I can to keep good glycaemic control. Now back to eating max of 30g carbs at each meal (any more and my sugars are higher than I would like) as my cholesterol shot up on LCHF ...... and little sat fat, lots of the good stuff. Most carbs coming from oatbran and legumes. So far so good. LADA in waiting .. maybe.

Interestingly, my HbAlc 3 years when I was eating a lot of carby **** was 5.8%. 12 Months ago when diagnosed with insulin resistance, 5.8%. 3 months later, 5.8%. 6 months later 5.8%. 4 months later ...... still 5.8%. Make of that what you will!

 

[-Artemis-]

... my little pancreas seems at the moment ma sha allah to have recovered a bit of function.

Lucy

Lucy are you Arabic...?

 

[LucySW]

Only in my heart Artemis. Lived in Cairo for 15 years - it's Never Never Land - had all my children there, love it, it's home and miss it terribly. And I love the muslims.

 

[-Artemis-]

... I'm half Arabic on my dads side ️

 

[LucySW]

Though you've got that beautiful classical Greek name ...

 

[-Artemis-]

Ah... that's just cos I loved Greek Mythology at school -- and Artemis rocks! She has two really cool poems associated with her; which have been little life mantras for me....


Artemis, huntress of the moon, make my aim true.

Give me goals to seek and the constant determination to achieve them.

Grant me commune with nature, and allow me to live surrounded by plants and animals that I can grow, protect and nurture.

Allow me the strength and wisdom to be my own mistress, not defined by the expectations of others.


------

And this one:
Artemis, grant me the strength I need to honor myself and my true purpose.

Grant me the courage to stand on my own.

And grant me the wisdom to know when to let go.

 

[LucySW]

Yes! That's why I think it's a beautiful name. Long ago I spent a long time with ancient Greek.

Tho I think Atalanta was my favourite.

 

[-Artemis-]

I don't think I remember Atalanta... Will go google