Ejection Fraction

[Raymond657]

Besides medication can you improve your Ejection Fraction?   I watch my diet, exercise daily and my EJ has remained about the same for the past 2 years.   I have had stents and I also have a ICD implant.  My medications are coreg, zocor, plavix and a blood pressure med.  In 2005 my EJ was 20 and for the past 2 years it has been in the low 40's. I realize everyone is different but is there any chance I should be doing something else to inc my EJ.

[Karissloane]

Back in December I felt a tightness in my chest and went to the doctor thinking I had a cold coming on. During the visit the doctor found my pulse to be fast (120). She sent me for an ECG which showed my pulse to be normal. They than sent me for a stress test and once again my pulse was high, but everything else was fine. The put me on beta blockers at this point to slow the rate of my heart and set up an echo. The echo showed my EF to be 35%. They have no idea what is causing my EF to be so low.

I am a 26 year old female, fairly active, non-smoker, I drink a few times a year, normal cholestoral, not diabetic, slim build, low-normal blood pressure. I met with another doctor who has since put me on a second drug for hypertension. Both drugs low my blood pressure which is already boardline low.

Would your comment apply to me as well?

[Cleveland Clinic]

No, except for any revascularization that yo may need. But remember, although having a low EF is a poor risk factor for cardiac mortality, and even better positive risk factor is functional class. Meaning that, even with your EF being low, you are still able to exercise and do all of your normal activities, so in a sense are not limited by our EF. So you actually will tend to have a better prognosis than someone with a normal EF who is, for some reason, unable to exercise minimally. The EF is not the end all be all or heart function, just a simple surrogate marker.