Hypokinesis

[guvnr]

I have been told that my left ventricle shows a light or small hypokenesis with the ejection fraction at (4 different tests)  45%, 60%, 50 and 45%.
How significant is this, and what is a "normal" fraction?
Thank you very much.
Alan Scott.

[tian69]

My 18 year old just had her second echo which showed a 40% EF, LV dysfunction, pulmonary incompetence, and global LV hypokenises. She is now being sent to a specialist. Just how worried should we be? After the first echo she was put on toprol..it did not make it better it actually went down 10% from the first. The reason why she had the first echo was because she had an EKG (freak finding at a Dr appointment she was having no symptoms other than a little under the weather) and she was in atrial flutter. I understand this is rare with someone so young?

[ajrenalli]

thank you for mentioning that we are not doctors, although some of us think we are. :)Guvnr....you sound like you are in top shape.  Have they questioned the cause?  Or do they simply want to minitor this.  The important thing is how do you feel??

[erijon]

One thing I forgot to mention, we are not doctors on this forum, This is a support group of people with similar issues.

[erijon]

More specifically, hypokinesis refers to decreased contractile function of the heart muscle which would lead to the heart's diminished ability to empty with each beat. Ejection fraction (EF) is the amount of blood that is pumped out of the left ventrile with each beat and should be over 50% and generally under 75%. Your test shows a small area of heart muscle that is not contracting properly which has resulted in a lower EF percentage.

[guvnr]

Dear Dr Renalli,
Thank you so much. The tests were over  a period of some 18 months from March 2006 as directed by my cardiologist, surgeon and physician. As receration, I was a competitive amateur cyclist and long distance runner, (never smoked, hardly drank alcohol until my early 40s; since my late 50s take wine daily - I live in France!) and until age 57 a triathlon athlete (fairly serious), and have never had any heart symptoms. My family history is of reasonable longevity (father 93, mother 98, grandparents 93, 79, 88, and 57 (ovarian cancer)).
I do not like the medications ( Temerit, Atacand, Tahor) - they nauseate me and have caused an erectile problem, but do not wish unilaterally to stop them.
Alan.

[ajrenalli]

55-70 is normal............why did you have 4 tests?  was that over several years?  It can vary from day to day, and there is a margin of about 10%.........much depends on the physician reading it too.  Heart failure is under 40.  the hypokinesis is what lowers the ef.  Hope this helps.