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The exact cause of asthma is unknown, and the causes may vary from person to person. However, asthma is often the result of a strong response of the immune system to an allergen in the environment.

Strokes are medical emergencies and treatment needs to begin immediately. Depending on the type of stroke, treatment may include medicines (such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or anticoagulants/antiplatelets) and procedures (such as carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery angioplasty). Surgery—such as aneurysm clipping and coil embolization or arteriovenous malformation repair—may be needed to treat a hemorrhagic stroke. Making lifestyle changes can help treat and control risk factors for a stroke.

Heart failure is more common in people age 65 or older, blacks, people who are overweight, and people who have had a heart attack. Children who have congenital heart defects also can develop heart failure.

Your risk for high blood cholesterol may be higher because of your age, family history and genetics, race or ethnicity, or sex.

The TAH replaces the lower chambers of the heart, called ventricles. Tubes connect the TAH to a power source that is outside the body. The TAH then pumps blood through the heart’s major artery to the lungs and the rest of the body.

The respiratory system helps you breathe. The main parts of the respiratory system are the lungs, the airways, and the muscles that enable breathing. The circulatory system, which is made up of the heart, veins, arteries, and capillaries, brings blood to and from the lungs and delivers nutrients and oxygen to tissues of the body while removing carbon dioxide and waste products. Other body systems that work with the respiratory system include the nervous system, lymph system, and immune system.

RDS is a type of neonatal respiratory disease that is caused most often by a lack of surfactant in the lungs. A fetus's lungs start making surfactant during the third trimester of pregnancy, or weeks 26 through labor and delivery. Surfactant coats the insides of the air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs. This helps keep the lungs open so breathing can occur after birth.

If you have been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, it is important to follow your treatment plan, make healthy lifestyle changes, and get mental health support. Learn how to prevent or reduce complications in the future. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, discuss the possible risks with your doctor.

How your pleural disorder is treated depends on what type of pleural disorder you have and how severe it is. Some pleural disorders go away without treatment. Others will require a procedure to remove air, fluid, or other material from the pleural space. The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and treat the underlying condition.

Two of the major risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. If either of these numbers is high, work with your doctor to get it to a healthy range.