What is Type 1.5 diabetes? All about Lance Bass’ autoimmune disease

Lance Bass was driving himself crazy trying to control his blood sugar after getting diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a few years ago.

Turns out, Bass actually has latent autoimmune diabetes of adults, which exhibits features of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

“I recently discovered I was misdiagnosed,” Bass, 45, shared on Instagram last week. “I actually have Type 1.5, also known as LADA, or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.”

Here’s everything you need to know about LADA.

What is LADA?

Some 38 million Americans have diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes — which is typically diagnosed in childhood or adolescence — is when your pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels.

About 90% to 95% of US diabetics have Type 2, which is when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well, resulting in high blood sugar. This condition is often diagnosed past the age of 45.

With Type 1.5 diabetes, your body struggles to control blood sugar levels because your immune system mistakenly attacked insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

It’s a slow-developing condition that usually starts after the age of 30.

What are the symptoms of LADA?

LADA is often misdiagnosed, like in Bass’ case, because of its similarities to Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

“We don’t typically check for autoimmune antibodies and that is how to diagnose LADA,” Dr. Janet O’Mahony, an internal medicine doctor at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, explained to Prevention.

KFF Health News recently reported that as many as 10% of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes could have LADA.

Symptoms include:

• frequent thirst
• increased urination, including at night
• unexplained weight loss
• blurred vision
• tingling in the hands or feet
• weakness and fatigue

What are the treatment options?

Bass, who rose to fame in the ’90s with the band *NSYNC, revealed his new diagnosis while promoting Dexcom G7, a continuous glucose monitor. He told People in March that he felt better after tweaking his diet and prioritizing exercise.

“At first, LADA may be managed with lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly, losing weight, making healthy diet choices, and quitting smoking,” Dr. M. Regina Castro, a Mayo Clinic consultant in endocrinology, said last year.

“Medicine taken by mouth to lower blood sugar also may be part of a LADA treatment plan,” she continued. “But as the body slowly loses its ability to make insulin, most people with LADA eventually need insulin shots.”