IMPROVING LVEF

I'm had acute leukemia(ALL) at age 23 and the chemotherapy regiment included Adriamycin. I'm now 47 and an ultrasound reveiled that my LVEF is 40%, a follow up ultrasound confirmed this number.  I'm currently taking Lisinopril and metoprolol.   I'm active pyhsically but find that I get tired quickly. I dont smoke or drink.    

What can I do to improve my LVEF?
Can arteriosclerosis contibute to a lower LVEF?  If so, how would this be corrected?

[jrbon]

Do you know what is the reason for your low EF?

Do you have an hypertrophy or a dilated cardiomiopathy or something else?

The reason for asking is because depending on the cause, exercise can be indicated or not.

As per getting tired this is the normal symptom of all cardiac patients.

Many times it is due to the medication and after 2-3 months of taking you become used to it and you feel better. In other cases it there almost for ever.

How long since you dx and started on medication? Have you already achieved the maximum dose defined by your dr or are you still increasing them?

Improving the EF, it depends on the reason, if it is a miocardiopathy the best is to follow your doctor medication to maximum levels (if you can) and to follow all changes in exercise and eating habits.

Many of us found that an strict control of salt, which not all doctors emphasizes enough make us feel much better.

Also avoid, stress, sleep at least 7 hours/day, eat 5-7 small meals are overall helping us.

Arteriosclerosis it is one of the reasons for low EF particularly if you have angina and a heart attack... again you need to know the reason of your EF.

The way to battle it, is to low your cholesterol, homocysteine and inflammation levels...but first you need to know if this is your problem.

Jesus

[slapshot79]

Side effects from Adriamycin(doxorubicin) cause EF.

Late cardiac damage with doxorubicin:
Late damage to the heart starts about a year or more after chemotherapy. Doxorubicin mainly affects the heart muscles. It weakens the heart muscles and makes the pumping of blood more difficult for the heart.

How does doxorubicin damage the heart?:
Doxorubicin reacts with some chemicals in the body (called enzymes) to produce harmful substances called free radicals. The production of these harmful free radicals is enhanced in organs like the heart where there is more oxygen and iron. While some organs have special enzymes to destroy these free radicals, the heart has a relatively poor supply of these enzymes. This makes the heart muscles susceptible to damage with free radicals

[slapshot79]

Side effects from Adriamycin(doxorubicin) cause EF.

Late cardiac damage with doxorubicin:
Late damage to the heart starts about a year or more after chemotherapy. Doxorubicin mainly affects the heart muscles. It weakens the heart muscles and makes the pumping of blood more difficult for the heart.

How does doxorubicin damage the heart?:
Doxorubicin reacts with some chemicals in the body (called enzymes) to produce harmful substances called free radicals. The production of these harmful free radicals is enhanced in organs like the heart where there is more oxygen and iron. While some organs have special enzymes to destroy these free radicals, the heart has a relatively poor supply of these enzymes. This makes the heart muscles susceptible to damage with free radicals

My current dosing of meds are 5 MG Lisinopril, 25 mg metoprolol

[jrbon]

So, I understand that you suffer a dilated myocardiopathy due to your cancer medication.

In that case the best you can do is to follow strictly your doctor medication and life style, some times they forbid any sort of exercise, so check with him about your "active life". Salt intake reduction also helps.

The tiredness that you feel it is most probably due to your medication, because your EF it is not too bad. Normally in 2-3 months you get use to it and you feel better, for how long are you taking it now??

Jesus.

[slapshot79]

Thanks for the information.