Preventing diverticular disease, from Harvard Men’s Health Watch
Diverticula are saclike pouches that protrude from the smooth muscular layer of the colon. They tend to develop where the muscles are weakest, at the places where blood vessels cross through the muscles. The appearance of these pouches is called diverticulosis. The condition usually develops after age 40; about one-third of Americans develop diverticulosis by age 60, and two-thirds have it by age 85. In 15% to 20% of people with diverticulosis, the pouches become inflamed (diverticulitis), causing symptoms.
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