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Cancer has been around as long as humankind, but only in the second half of the twentieth century did the number of cancer cases explode.
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.
More than 34,000 trademarked medication names and more than 10,000 generic medication names are in use in the United States.
Giardia is one of the most common intestinal parasites worldwide, and infects up to 20% of the world population, mostly in poorer countries with inadequate sanitation. Infections are most common in children, though chronic Giardia is more common in adults.
More than nineteen million Americans carry the factor V gene that causes blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and heart disease.