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DIC is caused by another medical condition that makes the body’s normal blood clotting process become overactive. The condition progresses through two stages. In the early stages, overactive clotting leads to blood clots throughout the blood vessels. The clots can reduce or block blood flow, damaging organs.

Pleural disorders may be caused by inflammation, injury, or an imbalance of fluids in the pleural space.

Vasculitis occurs when your immune system injures your blood vessels by mistake. What causes this to happen is not fully known, but when it occurs, your blood vessels become inflamed and can narrow or close off. Rarely, the blood vessel wall may weaken, causing it to expand or bulge. This bulge is known as an aneurysm.

Almost all newborns in the United States are screened for congenital heart defects in the first few days after birth. However, if you are at high risk for having a baby with a congenital heart defect, your doctor may recommend screening before the baby is born or strategies to help prevent a congenital heart defect.

Most patients who have cystic fibrosis have noticeable symptoms. Some patients have few or no signs or symptoms, while others experience severe symptoms or life-threatening complications. Symptoms may also change over time. The most common complications of cystic fibrosis affect the lungs and pancreas.

Your doctor will diagnose heart valve disease based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and results from one or more tests: electrocardiogram (EKG), chest x ray, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, stress testing, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The most common signs and symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs because it can't fill with enough blood and/or can't pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force.

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle in which the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick, or rigid. As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart becomes weaker.

You can take action to prevent heart disease and heart failure by avoiding illegal drugs, being physically active, following a heart-healthy eating plan, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.