According to the researchers, Heliobacter pylori accounts for only one piece of the ulcer puzzle. There is still a whole group of people who get ulcers and damage to their stomach from factors totally unrelated to Heliobacter pylori, such as damage from anti-inflammatory drugs and alcohol. Studies of ulcers up to this point have not revealed an underlying common denominator that would tie together the cause of the 30-40 percent of unresolved ulcers. Miller and Smith are hoping to find a common denominator by answering the fundamental question of why an ulcer occurs. They plan to look for answers at the cellular level because any progress made in understanding other diseases such as cancer and diabetes have depended on cellular level research.
Prostaglandins are fatty acids that can be found in every cell of the body.
There are about 30 kinds of prostaglandins that differ in just a few chemical bonds. Researchers found that they could prevent ulcers from occurring by giving prostaglandins before exposure to ulcer-causing agents. As a result, there are now synthetic prostaglandins available as a prescription drug called Cytotec that can be taken orally to protect against ulcers. Here in Florida, the land of a thousand golf courses, just about everyone and their grandmother has a few golf tips up their sleeve. But those tips generally focus on the physicality of golf such as stance, club grip, or the position of one's swing.