Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Published : October 6, 2017 5:07 PM IST
I am a 50-year-old male. I have an ejection fraction of around 35%. What else does low ejection fraction mean? Is high ejection fraction also a cause of concern? I am very worried.
The query is answered by Dr Santosh Kumar Dora, Cardiac Electro Physiologist, Asian Heart Institute (AHI), Mumbai.
Ejection fraction is an indication of how well your heart is functioning. The normal ejection fraction value is 55 - 65%. It is a known fact that low ejection fraction, which is less than 30%, might put you at risk of heart failure. Low ejection fraction can cause congestion of the heart as the blood is not moving from the heart. Over time, the blood also gets accumulated in the lungs, which then causes congestion in the lungs. This causes the symptoms of breathlessness. And hence, when a person with low ejection fraction exercises, it puts you at high risk of heart failure. Also read about is your heart pumping enough?
In extreme cases, it can also lead to a breathing problem at rest, while sleeping and even when doing daily chores like taking a bath. It can also lead to oedema in the leg, where the blood is collected in the ankles. However, oedema is not commonly seen in people with low ejection fraction. Hence, low ejection fraction can lead to heart failure in the long run. However, it usually does not cause any symptoms and hence, can only be detected following a diagnosis.
Low ejection fraction is quite common, unlike high ejection fraction, which is seen only in some patients. Ejection fraction of more than 70% is a sign that indicates heart abnormality. When you have high EF value, the volume inside the ventricle increases, which makes the heart to pump hard. It is also seen in people suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited disease of a thickened heart muscle. You may also like to read about the difference between heart attack and heart failure.
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