Here is the proposal again, but with more detail.
Proposal to Redefine Diabetes Type Terminology
By M. Ingraham, April 2011
Currently the term “Type 2 diabetes” includes two very different species of diabetes, each best treated differently, yet they have one name. Where does LADA fit in, if it is essentially a slow onset type 1, should it have a separate name. What about type 1.5, type 3, MODY, or the rare or genetic types?
I propose:
The term “Diabetes”, refer to a persistent disease causing abnormal blood sugar levels. Diabetes Insipidus would not be included, nor would a passing chemical or allergic reaction.
The term "Keto Pancreatic Diabetes" for a condition of little or no insulin production, generally causing ketoacidosis in an untreated state. This new term replaces the old “type 1 diabetes”, and will include any other diabetes type if it progresses to a stage where keto acidosis generally occurs in an untreated state. This generally occurs only in complete pancreatic failure.
The term "Onset Pancreatic Diabetes" for a condition of reduced insulin production, or a condition of relative inadequate insulin production, in a person not having resistance to insulin. Included under this term is gestational diabetes, in which the extra requirements of the unborn child and tissues of pregnancy increase insulin demand beyond the output of the pancreas. In this case the illness would be termed “Gestational Onset Pancreatic Diabetes”. This term includes the old “type 2” when referring to decreased insulin output of the pancreas.
The term "Metabolic Diabetes" for a condition of cellular insulin resistance.
Terms type 1, and type 2 would no longer be used. Other types would prefix the three proposed basic types. If a “Keto” type patient develops insulin resistance in old age, the term is “Keto-Metabolic Diabetes”. “MODY Onset Pancreatic Diabetes”, or “MODY Onset Diabetes”, are other examples.
Some blood sugar diseases would best retain their current labels – “hypoglycemia”, by it’s various causes of the liver, kidneys or pancreas would remain “hypoglycemia”. Genetic or nervous conditions causing one of the three major diabetic conditions – “Keto”, “Onset”, or “Metabolic”, would use it’s prefix with the appropriate suffix, “Rabson-Mendenhall Onset Diabetes” is an example. If the “LADA” term is useful, it may remain in use as a prefix to it’s appropriate major type suffix, “LADA Onset Diabetes”, which may progress to “LADA Keto Diabetes”.