Thanks to his trusty Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM), former boy band star Lance Bass is saying “bye bye bye” to diabetes-related surprises.
That’s the message Bass, who rose to fame in the late '90s and early aughts as part of boy band *NSYNC, brought to the 85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Chicago this month. As a member of the star-studded “Dexcom Warrior” advocacy group, Bass shared with conference attendees how Dexcom’s CGM has shaped his diabetes management at an ADA panel on June 21.
Bass has been open about his diabetes journey ever since he was diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), also known as Type 1.5 diabetes, last year. Developing diabetes as an adult was “confusing” to the now-46-year-old singer, he said in an interview with Fierce Pharma Marketing.
“It was an interesting journey, because no one knew what was going on for such a long time,” Bass said.
His doctor originally treated him for Type 2 diabetes for “a couple of years” before the correct diagnosis required a change-up in his treatment protocol to include insulin.
LADA is a form of diabetes that shares characteristics with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but develops much more slowly. Since symptoms usually begin after age 30, and as the pancreas still makes some insulin, many with the condition are first misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, as Bass was, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A user of Dexcom’s G7 CGM, Bass said the technology has “completely changed my life.” He highlighted several new features on the horizon for G7 users, thanks to the recent FDA clearance of a 15-day version of the sensor. Dexcom plans to launch the updated CGM in the second half of this year, and the company has said that it aims to move all of its CGM systems onto the 15-day platform going forward.
Along with the longer wear time and more accurate readings from the updated CGM, Dexcom is rolling out new features to its app to further streamline the user experience. Bass, who admitted to being “horrible” at determining how many carbs he’s about to eat, said he is particularly excited about a new tool that allows users to upload photos of their meals for AI to analyze.
“It’s only going to get better and better for us diabetics out there,” he said, adding that he’s “just excited to see where this all goes.”
Bass said he hopes that his very visible CGM usage will help others who may be dealing with the same condition feel “a little less lonely out there,” a message he hopes to spread in particular to “the kids.”
“When they see I’m wearing one of these devices, it makes them feel a little better about their diagnosis, too,” he said. “It changed my life. It can change your life, too.”
His involvement with the Dexcom Warriors and presence at the ADA sessions are aimed at spreading that message even further. And, while he may be known to many as an international pop star, Bass said that within the diabetes community, he’s able to engage as a like-minded patient who benefits from swapping stories and sharing tips with others, noting, “It really just helps you live with diabetes a lot better.”
For Bass, using his platform to be a voice for the patient communities he’s a part of has become a key priority in his adulthood.
“The older I get, the more fun things I get to talk about,” he said with a laugh.
The celeb also lives with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and partnered with Amgen in 2022 on its “Double Take” campaign to help others recognize the early signs and symptoms of the disease.
“When I found out that the symptoms I was experiencing were a result of psoriatic arthritis, I was surprised and scared; I was only in my 30s,” he said at the time.
To spread the word, Bass created a “fun and educational dance” that Amgen encouraged others to recreate with the hashtag #PsADoubleTake.