Patti LaBelle wasn't diagnosed with type 2 diabetes until her 50s. The news came after she passed out on stage during a 1995 performance in New York City. "I had no idea what was happening, but that night in the hospital, when I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, my life was forever changed," she wrote in 2021 for USA Today. She explained that she felt terrified, having watched both her aunt and uncle lose their sight, then her mother lose both legs from diabetes. But although she knew how devastating the condition could be, she says it took her a while to get past the denial. "Eventually, I realized my glucose levels weren't getting any better, and I knew it was time to do something," LaBelle wrote. "I made a conscious choice to prioritize my health and change my way of living."
