Getting the Right Tests Ordered
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
Most adults diagnosed with diabetes in India are never tested for antibodies. The label is assigned from age and appearance, and testing only happens if someone specifically raises it.
There is a simple checklist doctors use to decide who is worth testing. It asks about five things:
- You were under 50 when diabetes was diagnosed.
- Your BMI is below 25 — for Indians, even a BMI in the low twenties is worth counting here.
- You had clear symptoms at diagnosis, such as thirst, frequent urination or weight loss.
- You have another autoimmune condition yourself.
- An autoimmune condition runs in your family.
Two or more of these identify about nine out of ten people with LADA. Fewer than two makes it unlikely.
The two tests to ask for are a GAD antibody test and a C-peptide level. It helps to say why rather than to name the tests alone: that you are lean, that your control is slipping despite increasing doses, or that autoimmune conditions run in your family.
Availability varies. GAD antibody testing is not stocked by every small laboratory, and may need a larger private lab or a referral centre. C-peptide is more widely available and is a reasonable place to start if only one test is possible.
If testing is declined, ask what would change the answer. A clear reason is fair; "you're an adult, so it's Type 2" is not a test result.