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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.
Bacteria have flourished on the earth for over three billion years. They were the first life forms on the planet.
On average, someone in the United States has a stroke about every 40 seconds. This is about 795,000 people per year.
Parkinson's disease is both chronic and progressive. This means that it persists over a long period of time and that its symptoms grow worse over time.
Malaria was not eliminated in the United States until 1951. The term eliminated means that no new cases arise in a country for 3 years.