Can a person with 25% EF jogg five kilometers?

[nspower]

I have low ef (30%-35%) due to ischemic MI in 2007. Over last three and a half years my walking capacity has increased. Not in terms of time or speed but I no longer get tired and my pulse has reduced from high to normal. If I increase my walking speed my pulse increase  and breating becomes faster. I never tried this beyond certain limit because I do not have enough confidence that I can do that without harming my heart condition. I also have an ICD implanted since 2008.
I still have blockages of various degree but my LAD (opened and stented at the time of MI) and RCA are fine at this time. LCx is 100% blocked.

Today I read an old post on this forum which was dated 2004. The person who wrote this post has ef =25% and he has mentioned that he joggs for 5 kilometers daily. The reason for low ef was cardiomayopathy.

Is it possible?
Does anyone on this forum have such experience?
What are the factors which need to be overcome?
Is ef reduction due to cardiomayopathy different from ef reductionj from ischemic MI?
  

[jrbon]

I am sorry but, No, I will not give in an open forum any range of heart rate because it is not a point in doing that. Every person is different, every heart attack is different every medication is different... Mine was decided after the cardiac rehabilitation program and an stress test, once my medication was stabilized...So if you  want to know what is good for you, please ask your cardiologist.

As far as I understand, it is the fastest that you can afford without getting exhausted and without experimenting any angina or arrhythmias while been controlled by the EKG.

Yes BP will definitely affect how well you feel, but apart from hot days I have it quite stable.
However, one of the common symptoms of many people with Hearth Failure is tiredness which it is not related with the BP neither with the exercise, You get up OK in the morning and suddenly you star to feel very very tired ... and you can do nothing about it. This is why many of us have good and bad days.

Jesus

[nspower]

My doctors never gave me clear idea on what my HR should be during exercise/walks. On my own I try to keep it below 100 and adjust my walking speed accordingly. I walk a distance of 3 km in 40 minutes on road. My EF is 30-35%.

You mentioned that you were given a range of HR for duration of walks. Can you please share what is the HR range you maintain during your walks?

You have also mentioned "good" and "bad" days. I experience similar variation in my exercising capability. But I have found it is mostly linked to BP at the time of exercise and weather conditions. When BP is low, below 100, I feel exhausted and tired, but when BP is on gigher side 105 and above, I can walk without getting tired. Hot weather also makes me tired after walking.

[jrbon]

Just "Heart disease" is too ambiguous to make any judgment but weight lifting is NOT good for the heart, generally speaking.

Jesus.

[jrbon]

I have a 23% EF due to a massive heart attack back in 2007. So ischemic origin.

When I finish cardiac rehabilitation, I was given a range of HR where I have to stay about 45 minutes every day. Of course my situation has been changed with medication, and good and bad days... but in the good days I walk 4.5 KM in 45 minutes with an slope of 5-6% on the tread mill always keeping in my prescribed heart rate range.

After participating in many forums and reading many post, the only logical conclusion that I get is that EF is a value that has little to do with the quality of life and symptoms that we experience. However it seems to be relevant to life expectancy....this is why drs. use it.

Jesus

[opus88]

hi again Ken. can you tell me if its SAFE to do cardio exercises when you've been dx'd with heart disease? possible blocked arteries?
my son does weights BUT should he be adding cardio such as brisk walking or stairs to keep increasing his heart rate?
I've just watched a Dr. Oz show that stresses this as a preventative but I'm wondering IF its safe for someone who already has heart disease?
thanks again...♥Opus

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: "Today I read an old post on this forum which was dated 2004. The person who wrote this post has ef =25% and he has mentioned that he joggs for 5 kilometers daily. The reason for low ef was cardiomayopathy.

Is it possible?
Does anyone on this forum have such experience?
What are the factors which need to be overcome?

>>>>Cardiomyopathy has different etiologies, but all cardiomyo...is due to heart muscle damage.  Heart muscle damage can be due to inadequate supply of oxygenated blood to a specific heart wall's cells....this condition would be ischemic related, and heart cells can be necrotic (dead) or existing on a low oxygenated level (hibernating or stunned) and can sometimes be revitalized with a good blood supply to the area.  The heart wall is thinner than normal and the chamber size is increased (dilated cardio....).  This was the condition I was in 7 years ago, and the dilated LV lost adequate contractility and the EF was 16-29% (ischemia MI).  Medication that reduced the heart's workload provided enough relief to an overworked heart and the size returned to normal (reverse remodeling) and the EF is currently at 59%. (you may want to google reverse remodeling, hibernating, stunned heart cells for more details).

Cardiomyopathy can be related to heart muscle disease and the heart wall thickens reducing filling space as the walls are stiff and do not relax and this condition can also reduce contractility and cause a low EF. This type of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may not be a condtion for a good EF increase prognosis.  The malady can be due to high blood pressure, alcohol, drugs, medication, congential anomalies, prior heart attack (MI), etc.

QUOTE: "Is ef reduction due to cardiomayopathy different from ef reductionj from ischemic MI?"

Ischemia MI (my MI didn't cause major necrotic cells and the location has an effect also) will/can cause cardiomyopathy and reduce EF, but as stated cardiomyopathies can have a different genesis other than ischemia.

Hope this helps provide a perspective, and if you have any further questions or comments you are invited to respond.  Thanks for the question, take care.

Ken

[ChatterAlly]

In my case, and I do have some blockages and spasms, I never experience any angina when I walk.  I walk rather briskly for an hour and never have any chest pain or shortness of breath.  But I can have the spasms or angina at rest, sleep or just sitting at my desk.  Doesn't make any sense to me at all. I think everyone is different. What I should do is start checking my pusle and heartbeat while I am walking.  Having been doing that because I trust my heart would tell me if I am straining it.

[erijon]

I asked my doctor this very question last week when I saw him over a sinus infection. He heard my PVC's during his evaluation and we discussed those and during that talk I ask about cardiomyopathies and exercise. He told me that it would be extremely unlikely that someone could work out at a level of 9 or more mets with any form of cardiomyopathy without symptoms. It came up as I was asking him when I should repeat my last echo from 2007 and he responded that it would be useless as long as I had a high exercise tolerance and no physiological changes like an increased BP or other symptoms since that last test. He also said a stress test would be useless as all it would tell us is that I have a high tolerance for exercise, which we already know.

I don't know if anyone else has some experience with this, it will be interesting to hear.