20% heart capacity

[len777]

Iam approaching 80 by the end of this month. I live a very active life style including walking 5+ miles/day and biking as my sole means of transportation. I am rarely exhausted (never since I started keeping up w/ my hypertension meds) and no chest pains. The echocardiogram measured my heart capacity @ 20%. My recent cardiocath came back clean; no blockages. I do have an enlarged heart and an irregular beat and some damage to my lungs from smoking back in 1964. I drink 3-4 drinks/day (beer/wine). I feel fine.

Don't have no death wish but don't care to hang around miserable (unable to drink sociably) dependent or inactive.
Any idea what my prognosis is?

[ChatterAlly]

Ken has great comments posted, but I would like to add to that.  Your lifestyle may be your saving grace in my opinion.  I wouldn't let worry consume you unless they give you reason to.

[kenkeith]

I'm not sure regarding your post what you mean by 20% capacity.  It could mean the left heart's ventricle inner chamber is reduced to 20% of normal capacity by heart's enlarged walls have reduced the space available for filling.

Or it could mean the heart has the reduced contractual force to pump into circulation only 20% of the blood filled during the diastolic phase of the heart cycle.  There is a calculation with the echo to measure ejection fraction (EF...normal is 50 to 70%). I assume this what you are referring.  

An enlarged heart can reduce the EF, and it can also reduce the filling space and to answer your questions it is necessary to know the underlying cause of the enlarged heart.  High blood pressure can enlarge the heart as the heart is pumping against a higher resistance and the hearvier workload enlarges the heart.  Control bp can sometimes return the heart to normal size.

It is difficult to comment on prior smoking as a cause unless there is some lung damage that compromises adequate blood/oxygen and the heart works harder to compensate.  A few drinks a day may have a beneficial effect. `