Lance Bass talks about his Type 1.5 diabetes
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Lance Bass. Photo: Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images
Singer Lance Bass' efforts to eat right, exercise and take medication weren't helping to manage his newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes symptoms — until doctors determined he actually had a lesser-known condition known as Type 1.5 diabetes.
Why it matters: The disease — which mimics Type 1 diabetes but kicks in during adulthood — is not yet widely recognized, even by doctors. But appropriate early treatment using insulin can result in much better outcomes for those with the disease, experts say.
- The condition, which is also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA, occurs when the pancreas stops making insulin, usually because an autoimmune process is damaging cells in the organ.
- It's estimated between 4% and 12% of adults diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes later are found to have the condition.
What he's saying: Bass, of N'Sync fame, has been raising awareness about LADA on his social media platform and joined pop star Nick Jonas as an ambassador for the continuous glucose monitor maker Dexcom.
- "I hated pricking my fingers and checking my glucose all the time," Bass said about his decision to follow a friend's advice and get a continuous glucose monitor.
- It was only once he started using it that doctors were able to see his blood sugar readings weren't typical of a Type 2 diabetic and zeroed in on the LADA diagnoses, he said.
- "You just feel like there's something wrong with you. How am I broken? Why can no one can figure this out?" Bass told Axios on the sidelines of the HLTH Conference in Las Vegas.
- Bass said it took multiple medications, three different doctors and more than four years to finally figure out his real diagnosis. He said he's trying to make sure more people know about this type of diabetes.
- "The fact we realized it was this 1.5 just changed everything. And I know there are millions of people going through this with their doctor where their doctor just didn't realize."
Our thought bubble: This Vitals writer wasn't familiar with the condition until Bass disclosed his diagnosis, and then I learned a few loved ones actually had the condition themselves.
