Low heart ejection fraction

Hearing your heart ejection fraction is low can generate a lot of questions, like why it’s low and what can you do to improve it. At Aurora, diagnosing and treating heart conditions is our specialty. With unparalleled expertise, we’re one of the most active cardiovascular programs in Wisconsin. Our experienced team is here to get you the answers – and the right care – you need to keep your heart ejection fraction within normal ejection fraction range.

What is low ejection fraction?

Ejection fraction measures how well your heart is functioning. It’s expressed as a percentage and indicates how much blood your heart pumps out with each contraction.

For example, an ejection fraction of 60% means your heart is pumping 60% of your blood out of your left ventricle (its main pumping chamber) every time your heart beats. Generally, left ventricular normal ejection fraction range is between 55% and 70%.

The function of the left ventricle of your heart is to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body.

Low ejection fraction, sometimes called low EF, is when your measurement falls below the normal ejection fraction range. It means your heart isn’t functioning as well as it should. Your doctor will want to thoroughly check you for a heart condition to find the cause for your possible low ejection fraction symptoms.

A low number can be serious. If your ejection fraction is 35% or below, you’re at high risk of developing a dangerous arrhythmia or even heart failure.

Low ejection fraction symptoms

If you have two or more signs of low ejection fraction, particularly if you know you already have a heart condition, see your doctor right away. Possible low ejection fraction symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Feeling of fullness or bloating
• Heart palpitations, which feel like fluttering in the chest
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Rapid heartbeat
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling

Low ejection fraction causes

Falling lower than the normal ejection fraction range is often a sign of an underlying heart disease. Many different heart and vascular conditions can lead to low ejection fraction, such as:

• Cardiomyopathy: Causes your heart muscle to become enlarged, thick or stiff
• Coronary artery disease: Arteries that supply blood to the heart are narrowed
• Heart attack: Blood flow to your heart muscle becomes blocked
• Heart valve disease: One or more of your heart valves don’t open and close the way they should
• Systolic heart failure: When your heart’s left ventricle can’t pump blood forcefully enough

Low ejection fraction diagnosis

With advanced technology in labs that are among the best-equipped in the country, we’ll use one or more imaging tests to precisely measure your ejection fraction. These tests may include:

• Radiographic imaging: Such as a CT (computed tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
• Echocardiogram: Heart ultrasound
• Nuclear cardiology imaging: Uses a safe dose of radioactive material to evaluate how much blood flows through your heart
• Cardiac catheterization: Minimally invasive procedure where we gently guide a thin tube, or catheter, with a tiny camera through a blood vessel to your heart

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Lifestyle changes & prevention for low ejection fraction

You can improve your ejection fraction through lifestyle changes such as getting more physical activity, losing weight, taking daily rest periods, quitting smoking, stopping drinking alcohol, or reducing salt and excess fluids in your diet.

Low ejection fraction treatment

Not only are we specialized in treating all kinds of heart conditions, but we also specialize in tailoring a treatment plan just for you. We take the time to get to know you, pinpoint any underlying causes and provide exactly the care you need.

Your medical care plan will depend on if your low ejection fraction is linked to another heart condition. We may recommend:

• Medication: Beta blockers or diuretics to help improve your heart function or get rid of excess fluids
• Biventricular pacemaker implant: Helps your heart chambers pump blood as they should
• Implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD): Device that sends small electrical pulses to your heart to restore a healthy rhythm, especially treating those arrhythmias that can cause your heart to stop beating
• Heart transplant: Used when other treatments are unable to help dangerously low ejection fraction and severe heart problems