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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.
Pope Sylvester II tried to introduce Arabic numbers into Europe between the years 999 and 1003, but their use did not catch on for a few more centuries, and Roman numerals continued to be the primary number system.
Illicit drug use costs the United States approximately $181 billion every year.
The longest a person has survived after a heart transplant is 24 years.
Nearly 31 million adults in America have a total cholesterol level that is more than 240 mg per dL.