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Diabetes is a common disease that is on the rise in America. Having diabetes raises your risk for developing other dangerous conditions, especially heart disease and stroke. November is National Diabetes Month, a time to raise awareness about preventing and managing diabetes and protecting yourself from its complications.

With earlier diagnosis and newer treatment, patients with LAM are living longer, with some living more than 20 years after diagnosis. Your doctor will monitor your condition to see if it is stable or getting worse and causing serious complications. Also, your doctor may recommend other medical care, including vaccines, lifestyle changes, and pregnancy and birth control planning.

While there is no cure for LAM, doctors treat LAM with sirolimus (rapamycin), a medicine that stabilizes lung function, treats an abnormal fluid buildup in the lung called chylothorax, and improves overall quality of life. They may also prescribe other medicines or therapies to control other symptoms or complications.

LAM is diagnosed based on your medical history and the results from diagnostic lung function tests, imaging tests such as high-resolution CT scans, VEGF-D blood tests, or other procedures.

The signs and symptoms of pneumonia can be mild or severe and may include lung cysts, increased VEGF-D levels, reduced lung function, reduced, oxygen levels in the blood, chest pain or aches, fatigue, frequent cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Possible complications may include tumors in the kidneys, blood in the urine, enlarged lymph nodes, pleural effusions, pneumothorax or collapsed lung, and swelling.

LAM is a rare disease that mostly affects women of childbearing age.

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.