‘DWTS’: What Medical Condition Does Rylee Arnold Have? Her Health Issues, Explained

Rylee Arnold is in her fourth season as a pro on Dancing With the Stars, following in the footsteps of her big sister Lindsay Arnold, who left the show after Season 30 in 2021.

Being a professional dancer is undoubtedly a physically demanding career, and for the last several years, Arnold has had to navigate it while also managing a medical condition she was diagnosed with in 2021. Scroll down for more about her health issues.

What medical condition does Rylee Arnold have?

Arnold was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 15 years old in May 2021. She was hospitalized after dealing with severe dehydration. Bloodwork confirmed the diagnosis to doctors.

According to the Mayo Clinic, type 1 diabetes is a “chronic condition” where the “pancreas makes little or no insulin, the hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.”

Arnold admitted in 2024 that she feared she would not be able to dance anymore when she first received her diagnosis, but has since reframed how she looks at her illness in her mind. “It was about six years it took me to really, really get adjusted [and] understand how I react to things, how my body reacts to things, and I finally feel like I’m, like, ready to go,” she told Us Weekly.

Does Rylee Arnold wear a CGM?

There is no cure for diabetes, so Arnold treats her condition on a daily basis by managing her blood sugar levels. Arnold wears a Dexcom 7 CGM (continuous glucose monitor) on her body to keep track of her levels.

In a 2025 TikTok video, Arnold explained why her Dexcom is not usually visible during her DWTS performances. She said that she tends to place the device on her lower abdomen, which is usually covered by the costumes she wears. It’s not “intentional,” though.

@ryleearnoldYou can do anything you set your mind to and nothing can stop you!! Not even type 1 diabetes🥰✨❤️‍🔥♬ original sound – Rylee Arnold

Because of how “physical” dancing gets, Arnold said it’s difficult for her to wear the device on her arm like many others with diabetes do. The CGM is connected to her phone, so Arnold can get real-time updates about her blood sugar level and administer insulin to regulate it when needed.

“If my blood sugar is too high or if it’s too low, it really does affect my performance,” Arnold admitted. Since DWTS show days are so hectic and chaotic, she has to really be aware of what she’s eating. “Usually on show day, I try to eat just high protein meals and the most minimal carbs I can,” she explained. “Because just with stress and not really having the time to worry about my blood sugar, I try to eat so that it doesn’t spike my blood sugar throughout the day.”

What was Rylee Arnold diagnosed with?

In addition to diabetes, Arnold was also diagnosed with shingles in 2025. She revealed via a TikTok video, “So turns out you can get shingles as a 20-year-old. Any tips or recommendations are heavily needed right now.”

Per the Mayo Clinic, “Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash.” It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. “After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life,” Mayo Clinic says. “Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.” The condition is often “painful,” although not life-threatening.

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Arnold skipped the 2026 DWTS tour to focus on her health after her A1C levels spiked while touring the previous year.

“That is just my biggest priority, staying healthy as long as I can,” she told Extra. “I came back from the last tour and my A1C was a lot higher than it was before I went on tour, so my doctor kind of gave me some logistics of how I can manage my diabetes better in the next couple of months and it just wasn’t really realistic with the tour life, traveling all the time, living on a bus, doing multiple shows a day. So I sadly had to make the decision to step away for my health.”

Dancing With the Stars, Season 35, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+