State bans on affirmative action have prompted a precipitous decline in the number of U.S. medical students from racial/ethnic minority groups, a new study finds. “We know that a more diverse physician workforce leads to better care for racial- and ethnic-minority patients,” said lead researcher Dr. Dan Ly, an assistant professor of medicine in the…  read on >  read on >

Despite what you may have heard, rats and other city wildlife aren’t likely to trigger future pandemics in people, according to a new study. The COVID-19 pandemic has scientists trying to determine where future outbreaks are most likely to start. It’s long been suspected that critters in cities might act as reservoirs for viruses that…  read on >  read on >

Overweight kids don’t have it easy, and a new study warns they may also at increased risk for type 1 diabetes later in life. “A critical window exists in childhood to mitigate the influence of adiposity [being severely overweight, or obese] on the escalating numbers of type 1 diabetes diagnoses,” said the study’s lead author,…  read on >  read on >

Patients with atrial fibrillation usually receive blood thinners to reduce their stroke risk, but these drugs are under-prescribed to Black Americans, a new study reveals. When they leave the hospital, Black patients are 25% less likely than whites to be prescribed blood thinners such as Xarelto, Eliquis or warfarin, researchers found after studying the records…  read on >  read on >

Babies born to women who are stressed out during pregnancy may be more likely to experience social, emotional and learning problems as they grow up, new research suggests. “Mom’s elevated psychological distress affects not just her, but her unborn baby’s brain development,” said study author Catherine Limperopoulos, chief and director of the Developing Brain Institute…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans to watch out for phony at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests that look a lot like the real things. The counterfeit test kits may put you at risk of unknowingly spreading the disease or not seeking appropriate medical treatment, the agency cautions. The phonies “are made to look…  read on >  read on >