Singer Lance Bass revealed in an Instagram reel that his diabetes diagnosis has taken an unexpected turn. He shared that although he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago, controlling his blood sugar remained difficult despite changes in diet, medication, and exercise.
Recently, he discovered he had actually been misdiagnosed and has Type 1.5 diabetes, also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).
LADA is a type of diabetes that develops in adulthood and progresses slowly, often leading to confusion with type 2 diabetes. Research indicates that 4% to 12% of individuals diagnosed with type 2 may actually have LADA.
While it shares some characteristics with type 2 diabetes, such as gradual onset and adult diagnosis, LADA is an autoimmune condition that cannot be reversed through diet and lifestyle modifications, although these changes can help manage the disease.
In LADA, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to a gradual decrease in insulin production.
Dr. Saleh Adi, a pediatric endocrinologist and vice president at Willow Laboratories, explained that this slow damage results in progressively higher blood glucose levels. Many individuals remain asymptomatic until significant cell loss or increased insulin resistance occurs.
LADA has a genetic similarity to type 1 diabetes rather than type 2. Those with a family history of LADA, type 1 diabetes, or other autoimmune disorders may be at higher risk for developing it.
According to Dr. Adi, diabetes organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, often classify LADA as a slowly progressing form of type 1 diabetes due to the distinct autoimmune mechanisms that affect beta cells.
