How bad is this?

[Heart101]

I am a 49 year old female, in pretty good physical shape, although 20 pounds over weight. I have just been diagnosised with "left ventricular dysfunction" and EF with a 30-35% output, and my heart shows PVC on top of that. I have had several test and still going through more.  My question is how serious is this?  I do not smoke, I drink very little, but I do have a lot of family history of heart problems.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Any condition of the heart which decreases the EF and causes PVC (may be due to resultant dilatation of left ventricle in your case) has to be serious and cannot be ignored. It is good that you are going through a battery of tests. The causes of reduced EF can be both reversible and irreversible. The reversible causes should be caught and treated. Reversible causes include hypo or hyperthyroidism, an abnormal heart rhythm, tachycardia, alcohol abuse, or high blood pressure. Coronary artery disease and blocks too respond to either stent placement or surgery. Hence you will need to be properly investigated as you are being and then proper treatment will have to be started. With treatment most people lead a fairly normal life. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[kenkeith]

Your heart is pumping about 35% of the blood received from the lungs with each heartbeat (normal is 50-70%) and is considered LV dysfunction. Often with LV dysfunction the left ventricle is enlarged and if that is the situation then the heart's electrical impulses may not travel through the heart properly, making arrhythmias (PVC) more likely to develop. If blood supply to the heart is somehow reduced, this can alter the ability of heart tissue — including the cells that conduct electrical impulses — to function properly. Worst case scenario.

Your doctor should dx the underlying cause for your low EF and treat so your heart will pump adequately.  The seriousness would depend on the underlying cause and various degrees of coronary artery disease (CAD). cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) and valvular heart diseases.