Physicians say type 1 diabetics need to be responsible for 95% of the behavioral management for their disease, however when it comes to adolescents with type 1, evidence shows they are managing less than 20% of their diabetes. Caregivers are picking up a hefty tab.

Adolescents lie smack in the middle of a developmental see-saw. They are entering an age of more independence and self-reliance, but they are not yet adults. Gradually learning to manage type 1 diabetes on their own, with purposive training, is an important set of stairs to climb during the teenage years.

A recent study published by Eddie Hill and Jim Sibforth in the peer-reviewed Therapeutic Recreation Journal examined the benefits of an autonomy supportive environment for adolescents with type 1 diabetes at a summer diabetes camp in Utah. (A control group diabetes camp in Idaho was a part of the methodology.) In Utah, staff was specially trained to support camper autonomy (e.g., "What is your blood sugar and how do you feel?" versus "Check your blood sugar and you need insulin ... or you need sugar.") The camp invested in diabetes education, meal planning assistance, camper-led parent training, testing and adjustments, leisure education, camp games and activities, daily exercise, challenge course intiatives and good 'ole free time.

A Swedish study has found that elevated blood sugar in women is linked with increased risk of developing cancer.

Researchers identified 2,478 incident cases of cancer from records of 33,293 women and 31,304 men who participated in the study. Participants were recruited in the mid-1980s at age 40, 50 and 60 and the study covered a 13-year period. The records included levels of glucose in the blood when fasting and after receiving an infusion of glucose. Researchers calculated the cancer risk relative to blood glucose while adjusting for: age, year of enrollment, fasting time and smoking status. Women with blood sugar levels higher than normal have a total higher risk for cancer while for men the risk was unchanged at higher blood sugar levels. The overall risk of developing cancer for women in the top 25% of fasting blood glucose levels was 26% higher than those in the bottom 25%. Women with high fasting glucose levels had a higher risk of pancreatic, breast and endometrial cancers, while the increase in risk for malignant melanoma was two times higher.

While previous studies have shown that cancer risk for some cancers is higher for people with type 2 diabetes, this study suggests that something could be happening to trigger cancer much earlier, as glucose levels begin to rise. The scientists also found that the blood sugar levels gradually rose over the period of the study, which they suggest means that cancer risks would also continue to rise unless glucose levels were brought down by some means. The results were no different when they took Body Mass Index (BMI) into account.

The study provides further evidence for an association between abnormal glucose metabolism and cancer. If you ask me - I think this has to do with the pH levels of the blood. It is well known that cancer manifests in blood levels of higher acidity. Poor diabetic control can result in higher acid levels in the blood. The catch 22 is poor diabetic control leaves your entire blood chemistry off kilter and it cannot defend any rogue cells - especially those associated with malignant growth (i.e. cancer!)