Lance Bass is sharing an update on his health as he continues to manage his diabetes.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Hollywood Virgin Los Angeles Magazine Book Launch Party on Wednesday, Feb. 5, the former *NSYNC member, 45, shared that his diabetes is finally “under control.”
“I’m doing good,” he tells PEOPLE at the event, which supported the relief efforts of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation (LAFDF). “I’m finally kind of getting it under control now that I know I’m type 1.”
“I’m kind of experimenting with stem cells right now,” the singer adds. “There’s been some promising things about helping you use less insulin, so hopefully that’ll work with me.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show that stem cell replacement therapy is an up-and-coming treatment for diabetes that works by reducing insulin dependency.
In August 2024, Bass revealed in an Instagram reel that he has “Type 1.5 diabetes.”
“As all of you know, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a few years back,” the singer said. “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].”
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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, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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.
In March 2024, Bass explained to PEOPLE that he was focusing on controlling his diabetes and learning “what you can eat, when you can eat, and when you take your insulin,” which he admitted was “really hard.”
With the lifestyle changes, the singer boasted that he was “feeling more confident and in control than ever 💪.”
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