Type 1.5 diabetes isn’t a myth. It shares features of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes — it develops in adults, like Type 2, but involves an autoimmune process, like Type 1.

Because symptoms often appear gradually, it’s commonly mistaken for Type 2 diabetes.

Also known as Latent Autoimmune Disease in Adults, Type 1.5 diabetes an autoimmune disease that attacks the pancreas causing insulin resistance. It typically develops in adults between 30 and 50.

“Over the past years, it's become clear that there is a Type 1.5 diabetes in adults that's a little bit different than Type 2 and Type 1,” said Dr. Joseph Heneghan, an internist at Ochsner Health Center in Prairieville.

Even though many people haven’t heard of it, Type 1.5 is fairly common. Studies suggest that between 4% and 12% of people

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