icon-nav-help
Need Help

Submit your question to our team of health care professionals.

icon-nav-current-questions
Current Question

See what's on the mind of the community right now.

icon-conf-speakers-at-a-glance
Meet the Team

Learn more about our world-renowned team.

icon-nav-archives
CWD Answers Archives

Review the entire archive according to the date it was posted.

CWD_Answers_Icon
February 22, 2004

LADA and MODY

advertisement
Question from Santiago, Chile:

My friend is 20 years old. He had chicken pox three months ago. Two months later he had symptoms of diabetes, that is weight loss, thirst, and, now, diabetic ketoacidosis. Is there a relationship between chicken pox and type 1 diabetes?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

There is no evidence that chickenpox can actually be the cause of any form of diabetes. In your friends case, judging from the age at onset, I think that he has LADA or Late Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. The problem is that a disorder of the immune system, very slowly and over a period of years, destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. In the late pre clinical phase, however, any stress, including that of an intercurrent infection, can tip the balance into insulin dependance. To be more certain of the diagnosis he should talk to his doctor about getting a confirmatory antibody test.

DOB