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Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. About 10% of Americans older than age 40 years have diverticulosis, which, when the pouches become infected or inflamed, is called diverticulitis. The main cause of diverticular disease is a low-fiber diet.
Approximately 500,000 babies are born each year in the United States to teenage mothers.
More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized. At the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use.
Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease in the world. Most children who develop asthma have symptoms before they are 5 years old.
This year, an estimated 1.4 million Americans will have a new or recurrent heart attack.