Anti-GAD positive?

[Kristin82]

I had many labs run 3 years ago due to being hyperthyroid. One of the labs they ran was anti-gad. My levels came back positive at 6. Six months later, they were at a 9. My doctor said I had no indication of being diabetic. Has anyone had a positive anti-gad test and had it not be diabetes. Were my numbers pretty high? I don't remember the units given.

 

[Kristin82]

Does anyone have an answer? I'm pretty concerned about this positive test.

 

[audsital]

Hi kristin82, if you are worried about having diabetes maybe you should see your doctor to clarify what your levels were and also retest as i think you wrote these tests were done three years ago. I tested positive for the antibodies when i was diagnosed with type1 lada in jan of this year but haven't really got my head round all the stuff yet so sorry can't be of any more help.:roll:

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Kristin82]

Thank you so much for answering. Do you remember what your anti-gad numbers were?

 

[mo1905]

Hi, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "anti GAD positive" ?
Do you mean GAD negative or GAD positive ?
I was tested positive for GAD antibodies a while back and was informed this meant I had the auto-immune version of diabetes, basically, T1. I'm not sure what my actual numbers were though. Good luck
Mo


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Kristin82]

Thank you for your response. By anti-gad positive, I mean GAD positive. It was my neurologist who tested me and he thought the positive numbers were from having hyperthyroidism, however, when I started looking online, I saw that it was a huge risk factor for diabetes. I'm not allowed to see him anymore with my insurance because my new insurance plan is awful, but I did speak with him over the phone last week. He told me not to worry about having a positive GAD number. I just hope I shouldn't be needing to start on diabetes medicine because my neuro was linking it to my thyroid.

 

[phoenix]

Thank you for your response. By anti-gad positive, I mean GAD positive. It was my neurologist who tested me and he thought the positive numbers were from having hyperthyroidism, however, when I started looking online, I saw that it was a huge risk factor for diabetes. I'm not allowed to see him anymore with my insurance because my new insurance plan is awful, but I did speak with him over the phone last week. He told me not to worry about having a positive GAD number. I just hope I shouldn't be needing to start on diabetes medicine because my neuro was linking it to my thyroid.

Most people on here are likely to have developed a form of diabetes that seems to be insulin deficient and then been tested to see if there are autoimmune antibodies rather than the other way round. However people without diabetes can have antibodies and not necessarily go on to develop diabetes.
.
One study found in 8 years that 34 out of 215 (15.8%) antiGAD positive relatives of people with T1 diabetes became diabetic and that 2 out of 38 (5.3%) antiGAD + controls (not related to diabetics) became diabetic. In those who were antiGAD negative the figures were 5.6% and 3.9% respectively. So the risk is greater but in that eight years, more people didn't get diabetes than did, even with GAD antibodies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... po=23.4375

Other studies show that people with autoimmune thyroid disease are indeed more likely to be antiGAD positive than the general population.
I think that you shouldn't worry about it but perhaps ask your GP to check your glucose on a regular basis ( the same as many docs check people with T1 for TSH and TPO at diagnosis and then every so often)

 

[AmyGreen]

My anti gad positive result was over 1000 when I was diagnosed in June this year as type 1
I was told normal was below 10 I think

 

[Daibell]

Hi. LADA (Late onset Type 1) can come on throughout life and is usually but not always associated with GAD anti-bodies. I guess there is a higher probability that you could develop T1 over the coming years. I would have a check done at the local pharmacy every 6 months or so and possibly buy a glucose meter if really concerned. The good thing is you are aware of the possibility if the symptoms ever arise.

 

[Dee2]

Hi..after being treated for type2 for 26 months I had bloods for Anti-Gad..my results came back as 2000+ and I was then diagnosed with LADA..the auto immune type of diabetes and finally started on insulin..to be honest if your Anti-Gad was 9 I wouldn't overly worry..but you could always get retested for diabetes if you were..good luck

 

[angieG]

I was treated as type 2 for about 20 months then re-diagnosed as type 1 with a GAD result of 1943

Angie

 

[mo1905]

What do the numbers actually mean ? Is higher better or worse ? I too have tested positive for GAD antibodies but I don't know my actual numbers. Should I ask ? Does it matter ? On MDI anyway. Thanks


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[angieG]

What do the numbers actually mean ? Is higher better or worse ? I too have tested positive for GAD antibodies but I don't know my actual numbers. Should I ask ? Does it matter ? On MDI anyway. Thanks


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Haven't a clue, I asked to be tested so I had a definite diagnosis (didn't want the hassle of insulin for nothing due to my group 2 hgv and psv licences) so my Consultant did the GAD test. When I went back to see her for the results she said 1943 meant I was definitely a type 1.

Regards
Angie

 

[mrman]

Think the positive gad test means you are diabetic lol.
Think the higher the number the more of the buggers you got that are attacking your insilin producing cells.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[mo1905]

Thanks Brett & Angie. I guess the end result is the same !


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[mrman]

Same as you mo, tested positive for these blighters but don't know the numbers. Not that it matters or would change things but I'm curious now, so thats now on my list of questions for next visit lol.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App