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Long-term exposure to lung irritants—smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, or dusts—that damage the lungs and the airways usually is the cause of COPD. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency can also cause the disease.

Researchers do not know the exact cause of LAM or why it mainly affects women, but they believe genes and the female hormone estrogen play a role.

There are many risk factors for coronary heart disease. Your risk of coronary heart disease goes up with the number of risk factors you have and how serious they are. Some risk factors—such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol—can be changed through heart-healthy lifestyle changes. Other risk factors, such as your sex, older age, family history and genetics, and race and ethnicity, cannot be changed.

If you have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, it is important that you continue treatment plan. Get regular follow-up care to control your condition and prevent complications.

Mild cases of myocarditis and pericarditis may go away without treatment. To treat heart inflammation, your doctor may recommend medicines to fight the infection or control the inflammation, and possibly surgery for certain cases.

Risk factors for iron-deficiency anemia include being of certain age groups, some unhealthy environmental factors, family history and genetics, being female, and certain lifestyle habits such as vegetarianism.

Signs, symptoms, and complications will vary based on the type of congenital heart defect that you or your child have, and may be different for newborns and adults.

An arrhythmia may not cause any obvious signs or symptoms. You may notice something that occurs only occasionally, or your symptoms may become more frequent over time. If left untreated, arrhythmia can lead to life-threatening complications such as stroke, heart failure, or sudden cardiac arrest.

An aortic aneurysm may not cause any signs or symptoms until the aneurysm ruptures or dissects. The types of symptoms that occur before a rupture will depend on the location of the aneurysm and whether it has become large enough to affect other parts of your body. An aneurysm that ruptures or dissects is life-threatening.

You may have an increased risk of developing an aortic aneurysm because of your age, family history, genes, lifestyle habits, medical conditions, or sex.