Nsync’s Lance Bass Says Managing Type 1.5 Diabetes Is A 'full-time Job'

NSYNC’s Lance Bass shares his journey with type 1.5 diabetes, also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Josh Brasted/Getty Images

• NSYNC’s Lance Bass shares his journey with type 1.5 diabetes, also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).
• The singer opens up about being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes and how living with type 1.5 has impacted his well-being and relationship.
• Bass also explains why he is experimenting with a stem cell treatment.

Last summer, iconic singer Lance Bass of NSYNC announced he was diagnosed with 1.5 diabetes after being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes four years earlier.

“I’m all about educating people, Bass told Healthline. “This was so out of left field for me, so I know there are so many people out there, and it’s also going to come out of left field. I want them to feel seen, heard, and not so scared of it.

Also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 1.5 diabetes presents similarly to type 1 diabetes but with slower onset and progression.

“LADA is diagnosed in adults over 30 years old and features a slower progression of autoimmune beta-cell destruction compared to type 1 diabetes,” Scott Isaacs, MD, president-elect of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, told Healthline. “Patients with LADA typically require insulin therapy within 5–10 years.”

Type 1.5 diabetes is sometimes misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes due to its adult onset and gradual symptom progression, Issacs noted.

“The term 1.5 is used to describe adult-onset type 1 diabetes,” Karl Nadolsky, DO, endocrinologist and diplomate at the American Board of Obesity Medicine, explained to Healthline.

The main differences among the three types of diabetes lie in their autoimmune involvement, age of onset, and insulin dependency.

“While type 1 diabetes requires immediate insulin treatment, LADA patients may initially respond to oral agents before transitioning to insulin, and type 2 diabetes management focuses on lifestyle changes and oral medications, with insulin potentially needed later in the disease course,” Isaacs said.

Type 2 diabetes that progresses may also require injectable blood-sugar-lowering medications, like GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Healthline spoke with Bass to learn more about his misdiagnosis, how he is coping, and how the condition has affected his well-being and relationship.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

There were times I’d be so tired that I wouldn’t even get out of bed, and my legs wouldn’t work, and now I understand what it is.

Lance Bass

How is type 1.5 diabetes diagnosed?

Bass: I do a normal blood panel every six months with my doctor cause I like to make sure that I stay healthy. When they said I was type 2, we started immediately trying to get that under control through medication, and we didn’t start insulin at all because they didn’t think I would need it.

Then, after about 3 years of being type 2 and it not touching my glucose levels, I decided to go to a couple of other doctors and really get it checked out. After two months of studying my blood work, they realized [I was] that rare 1.5, which I had never heard of. It clicked, and it made sense.

There were times I’d be so tired that I wouldn’t even get out of bed, and my legs wouldn’t work, and now I understand what it is. I felt like I was doing something wrong or maybe there was something else happening in my body, so it was definitely a relief knowing the right diagnosis.

How is type 1.5 diabetes treated?

Bass: I had to be insulin-dependent, and now I’ve got my levels under control. I’m learning how to use insulin. I’m happy, and I can say I definitely have it under control now.

I wear a Dexcom G7 glucose monitor because it alerts you when your sugar goes really low. When my Dexcom alerts my phone, it sounds like a fire truck is at your house.

My husband immediately knows to go grab some apple or orange juice for me, and he brings it to me. He takes care of me [and] jumps to action when he hears those alarms go off.

Bass uses a continuous glucose monitor to help manage his blood sugar levels. Image Provided by Lance Bass

How do you manage your type 1.5 diabetes symptoms?

Bass: I’ve found some things that really work for me.

The continuous glucose monitor is a lifesaver. When I first became diabetic, I was pricking my finger all the time.

Once I started wearing my G7, it just changed everything because every 5 minutes, I can get a real-live read of where my levels are. If I’m at a birthday party and want to have just a bite of that birthday cake, I can look at my app and see if I can.

Drinking tons of water helps bring my glucose readings down. I have one of those big jugs and I try to drink three of them a day.

I add fiber to my diet, and I noticed that [my sugar levels] do not spike nearly as much at all. Adding electrolytes helps, too.

And of course, you can’t beat exercise. Not just running and walking but lifting weights. I noticed that [it] really helps bring my levels down. When you’re lifting heavy, the sugar goes right to your muscles and you can really tell a difference.

How has type 1.5 diabetes affected your mental health?

Bass: I think I’m still adjusting. The first few years you think you’re so invincible that there must be a mistake so I think you’re in denial for a long time; there’s still part of me that feels like I’m in denial cause you just don’t want to face [having] a chronic illness.

But you start to accept it more and more and you realize it’s not a death sentence, especially now when you have amazing devices like the Dexcom and great medications.

[Doctors] know more about it, so it doesn’t scare me as much as it did when I was first diagnosed.

To me, there is a lot of silver lining in being diabetic; you’re focused on being the healthiest version of yourself. If I didn’t have diabetes, maybe I wouldn’t take care of myself as much [and stay] as healthy as possible.

Tell us about your experimental stem cell treatment

Bass: I took it less than two weeks ago. They inject you with 90 million stem cells — they recommended 180 million, but we’re going to start slow and see what happens. It only took 15 minutes to get them into my body. You don’t feel anything.

They say it takes about 3 or 4 weeks to feel [any effects]. I’m crossing my fingers that it does help me in particular with my insulin intake.

I love science. I think it’s incredible, so I’m like a kid in a candy store when it comes to this kind of stuff. I want to make sure I can help people in the future so hopefully in a few months, I’ll have some good news on how it’s affected my body.

You know how much someone loves you when they want you to be as healthy as possible.

Lance Bass

How has your condition affected your relationship?

Bass: It really has brought us closer together. Having kids has brought us closer together and now this diagnosis has brought us closer together. You know how much someone loves you when they want you to be as healthy as possible.

I always say being diabetic is a ful-time job because there’s so much you have to think about — the insulin, keeping it in the refrigerator, when you go out for the day and you have to work, did you remember to bring it? Are you making sure it didn’t get above a certain temperature?

You have to take a certain amount of units 15 minutes before you eat a certain amount of carbs, so you’re always constantly thinking about your diabetes.

Having a partner to help figure this out has just been a godsend… because, for 40 years, I never had to deal with this, so I’m kind of set in my ways.

It’s like relearning how to walk in a way, so having [Michael] really helps.

Lance Bass and his husband, the painter and actor Micheal Turchin. Image Provided by Lance Bass

What do you hope people learn from your story?

I’m lucky to have a very public persona. People listen and trust me, and I want them to see how I deal with my diagnosis and help people as much as I can [by] sharing how I use my G7 and how I’m experimenting with stem cells.

I have a big young fan base. A lot of kids out there love following me, and they are now rediscovering NSYNC at a young age. It hurts my heart to see these really young kids with diabetes.

I have 3-year-olds and I can’t imagine having to prick their finger every single day, and how scared they are; not understanding exactly what’s happening and why they have to do this and their friends don’t.

Everyone has to do their journey their own way with their doctor, but I’m going to share what helps me and if that helps you, that’s going to make me happy.

Takeaway

While type 1.5 diabetes can be more challenging to diagnose, there are ways to treat the condition and manage your symptoms.

Continuous glucose monitors can help you maintain optimal blood sugar levels. Stem cell treatments for LADA are currently in the experimental phase and have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Like Bass, seeking care from your doctor can help ensure you receive the correct diagnosis and effective treatments.