Because this applies to TheDiabetesBlog just as much as it does to TheCardioBlog, I'm posting it here, too...

Twin studies have been going on for decades, mostly for the purpose of providing researchers with biological results that are free of influence from environmental factors. But in the post-genomic era, scientists can look much further, and with much more accuracy, when searching genes for specific traits. Taking advantage of advanced technology, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have identified certain genes that make a person predisposed to heart disease and diabetes.

With regard to the former, the researchers found, for example, three genes that are related to the development of systemic inflammation. Again, this is just one example as far as cardiovascular problems go. With respect to the latter, diabetes, factors linked to kidney disease and/or elevated blood glucose levels were also discovered in specific genes.

Being that twins are not exactly common, the researchers are looking for new twin participants for future study. So, if you happen to be a twin and would like to participate, call 858-552-8585. Or, if you'd prefer to just read about it, you can check out the upcoming May 1st issue of Circulation.

If you're avoiding refined carbs, you probably already know that you should be. Whether it's because their effect on blood sugar is the reason, and/or if is more for the purpose of merely trying to eat healthier, avoiding starches such as white bread, rice, pasta and simple sugars such as sweets and juices is a smart move.

New evidence has surfaced connecting excessive refined carb consumption with an increased risk of kidney cancer. According to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, when the diets of 767 kidney cancer patients and 1,534 healthy people were compared, it was discovered that patients who ate the most white bread (7 ounces or more daily) were almost twice as likely to have kidney cancer than those who ate 3.5 ounces or less.

Moreover, people who ate 2 or more cups of regular pasta were one-third more likely to have kidney cancer than those who ate half that much.

Foods such as white bread, regular pasta and other refined carbs cause glucose levels in the blood to spike, as most people with diabetes know. Being that insulin plays a significant role in the development of kidney cancer, the researchers knew where to look in making this connection.

Those delicious late night snackies may be bad for you. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle say that diabetics who eat lots of food in the evening are upping their risk of health complications. These experts sat down and interviewed 714 diabetes patients about their eating habits. Ten percent said they ate more than one-quarter of their daily food intake not at dinnertime, but after dinnertime. That means snacking after dinner, and getting up at night (even multiple times in the night) to sneak some late-night food treats - and we're not talking apples and oranges here. No, we're talking about snacks of the fatty and highly processed variety - the kinds of foods that give nutrition experts the night frights.

Seems that this little habit catches up with these patients in their declining health - they were two to three times more likely than the other patients in the study to be obese, to have poor blood sugar control or to have multiple diabetes-related complications, including the "biggies" - heart disease, and kidney and nerve problems. The cause? It seems that these patients are more likely than others to be suffering from depression. It appears that the late night eating is a coping mechanism. Researchers hope that access to therapy and antidepressants could help these people out.

The results of the study have been published in Diabetes Care (August 2006).