Lance Bass Reveals He Has Type 1.5 Diabetes: Here's What That Means

Lance Bass revealed on Instagram that he was "misdiagnosed" with Type 2 diabetes

Lance Bass attends Huddy's "Love Bites" EP release and Birthday Party at No Vacancy on May 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo:

Michael Kovac/Getty

Lance Bass shared a new development to his diabetes diagnosis. 

Bass, 45 revealed the surprising “plot twist” in an Instagram reel and revealed that he actually has “Type 1.5 diabetes.”

“As all of you know, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a few years back,” the singer said in a sponsored post for a continuous glucose monitor. “But when I was first diagnosed, I had a difficult time getting my glucose levels under control even though I made adjustments to my diet, medication, and my workout routine.” 

“I recently discovered that I was misdiagnosed,” he confirmed. “I actually have Type 1.5, or latent autoimmune diabetes of adults [LADA].”  

Lance Bass attends the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Dolby Theater on April 1, 2024 in Hollywood, California. The 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards airs live on Monday, April 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT ) on Fox.

FOX via Getty 

According to the Mayo Clinic, LADA is similar to Type 1 diabetes, where the pancreas stops producing insulin because of an autoimmune response in the body that damages cells in the pancreas.

Unlike a typical diabetes diagnosis, LADA develops slowly in adults over 30 and typically “people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who are lean and physically active, or who have lost weight without effort, could have LADA.”

The American Diabetes Association also confirmed that LADA symptoms are similar to those in other forms of diabetes and can include excessive thirst, extreme fatigue, and tingling and numbness in the extremities. 

Since the disease develops slowly, a person can typically manage symptoms with healthy lifestyle changes to diet and exercise habits, but they may eventually require insulin shots down the road. 

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Back in March, the musician told PEOPLE that he had been previously diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes during COVID and that “I'm really trying to figure out how to control that."

"I'm learning what you can eat, when you can eat, when you take your insulin — and all that has just been really hard lately," he explained. 

However, with the lifestyle changes, Bass has been able to feel better and even wrote in his Instagram post that he is “feeling more confident and in control than ever 💪.”

Lance Bass attends the world premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" at Lincoln Center on July 22, 2024 in New York City.

Taylor Hill/WireImage

"The older I get, the more I know I have to take care of my body. So I work out when I can," he told PEOPLE. "Exercising is so key right now, but it's hard for me because of my schedule to get to a gym. So I do have a nice setup at my house and I get 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there."

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