Nick Jonas got diagnosed with diabetes in childhood thanks to brother Joe

Nick Jonas is opening up about a turning point in his health journey that happened nearly two decades ago, crediting his brother Joe for noticing something was seriously wrong. 

During the July 24 episode of Podcrushed, hosted by Penn Badgley, the Jonas Brothers, Nick, Kevin, and Joe, reflected on the early days of their music career and how Nick’s diagnosis with type 1 diabetes came just as they were beginning to find fame.

Nick, now 32, recalled how during their 2006 school tour, his health started to deteriorate quickly. 

“I started losing a ton of weight and you know, drinking a ton of water, use the bathroom all the time, all the signs now that I know are symptoms of type 1 diabetes,” he said.

At the time, Nick didn’t know what was happening to him. 

“I had no idea. I just knew that I wasn't feeling well and was losing all this weight,” he shared, adding, “it's actually a testament to the lack of information and awareness there was around type 1 at this time.”

He and Joe, who was 16 at the time, had taken a break in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where they were trying to relax during a busy schedule. 

It was there Joe noticed how drastically thin Nick had become. 

“He was sort of like chaperoning me. We went to the pool one day and he saw my back and called my parents and said, ‘You know, something's really wrong. You have to get down here.’”

Joe confirmed, “So skinny,” while Kevin added, “You could see every bone.”

When Nick finally saw a doctor, his glucose level was alarmingly high. 

“Normal glucose should be between 70 to 120 for a person not living with type 1 diabetes… Mine was like north of 900, which is obviously very high,” he explained.

Thanks to timely medical attention, Nick recovered quickly. 

“I was back on stage, you know, within a week's time of being diagnosed,” he said, praising the “great doctors” who helped him.

Now nearing his twentieth year living with the condition, Nick noted how it aligns with another milestone. 

“I'm coming up on my twentieth year living with the disease, which coincides with the twentieth year of the band, coincidentally.”