"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Ask the Doctor: Understanding Ejection Fraction

Question . Can you make clear exactly what you mean by “injection fraction”? And is there any strategy to increase it?

Oh Ejection fraction refers to the quantity of blood that’s pumped out of the left ventricle of the center every time it contracts. Contrary to popular belief, the conventional emission fraction isn’t 100%. Even a healthy heart pumps only half to two-thirds of the quantity of blood within the chambers in a single heartbeat. So a typical emission fraction is somewhere within the range of 55% to 65%.

Damage to the center muscle – from a heart attack, heart muscle disease (akin to cardiomyopathy), or other causes. An ejection fraction of 40% or less may indicate heart failure, a condition during which a weakened heart struggles to flow into blood throughout the body.

For some individuals with heart failure and a low ejection fraction, drugs akin to ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers can improve or stabilize the ejection fraction. Exercise also can help by strengthening the muscles within the legs and arms. Larger, more efficient muscles are higher capable of extract oxygen from the circulating blood, which may compensate to some extent for the center's reduced pumping capability. But you should definitely seek the advice of your doctor before starting an exercise regimen. If possible, seek a supervised cardiac rehabilitation program, which is the safest way for individuals with heart failure to start exercise.