|
|
For about 100 years, scientists thought that peptic ulcers were caused by stress, spicy food, and alcohol. Later, researchers added stomach acid to the list of causes and began treating ulcers with antacids. Now it is known that peptic ulcers are predominantly caused by Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that normally exist in the stomach.
Asthma cases in Americans are about 75% higher today than they were in 1980.
Multiple sclerosis is a condition wherein the body's nervous system is weakened by an autoimmune reaction that attacks the myelin sheaths of neurons.
People with high total cholesterol have about two times the risk for heart disease as people with ideal levels.
More than 150,000 Americans killed by cardiovascular disease are younger than the age of 65 years.