lifespan with low EF

I am 44 years old, "was" in very good health, now 25% of my heart was damaged/dead and my ejection fraction is 31.  I am now on Ace inhibitors and beta blockers.  With an EF of 31% nobody will tell me what to expect as far as life expectancy, my cardiologist even avoids the question.  How old or how long can I expect to live?

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

hey sorry your having problems i have a few friends who have a lot less ef and they are find its not the end so keep head up .your dr can tell you how to buld it back up. what caused it to drop .

[dorian3738]

damage was due to a massive heart attack. left anterior descending blocked 100% by a clot.

[anacyde]

Your doctor probably "avoids" the question because there isn't an answer.  Some people can function a very long time with an EF of 31% on the right treatment plan.  It sounds like you're in good hands.  Doing things the healthy way improves anyone's chances for longevity.  Much of your prognosis depends on how you feel.  Hang in there.

[Tinu1959]

Dorian3738 how are you doing now. My condition is similar to yours and I am also worried with same question. Can you please give some feedback on medications you have been taking and improvements in EF?

[BOB_27]

HI  -  FIRST OF ALL  -  RELAX. . .I SUFFERED A SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH LAST JULY..MY EF WAS ONLY 30 %   I TOO HAD 100 % BLOCKAGE ON THE L A D AND HAD A STENT PLACEMENT.... WELL - A GOOD DIET AND CARDIAC REHAB HAS BROUGHT ME A LONG WAY  -  MY E F  IS NOW APPROX 50 % . . .YOU CAN BRING YOURS UP TOO. . .GOOD LUCK
BOB

[kenkeith]

You are responding to an old post!  You may be able to reach OP by e-mail. The appropriate medication for cardio/vascular diesease is a beta blocker (lower heart rate and some have an alpha blocker to help reduce blood pressure), an ACE inhibitor to lower blood pressure, possibly a diuretic (water pill) to reduce fluids,  Someone else's medication would not be much help as there may be other conditions, etc.

[Tinu1959]

I am aware it is an old post but I was anxious to find out how he is doing now. I also had a massive heart attack last august with 100% blocked LAD(opened by stent) and part of my LV served by LAD has been damaged with 30% EF.You have been very kind to reply my earlier posts and I was a bit hesitant to bother you again. But now that you have responded I am trying to use this as an opportunity to get your opinion. My problem is that I am not getting any straight answer on whether my condition will improve with time or it will become worse. This anxity is making my life miserable. My cardiologist starts talking philosophy when I ask him this question and this makes me believe that things are not going to get better. On the other hand success stories I read in this forum bring some hope that things might get better. My recent echo showed "dilated LA(LA(es) 4.5 cm)" and "enlarged LV(LVID-ed 6.1 cm and LVID-es 5.5 cm)" "reduced systolic velocities". One of the members has informed that these values are not dangerously bad. But I fear they may eventually get bad. I do not know whether everybody(MI patients) passes through this phase or it is me who is getting over anxious for no reason. I am on/near target dose of betablockers and ACE-I. My BP is most of the time 108/70 and pulse 70-80 bpm expept when I walk it goes upto 100 bpm. I am able to cover 1.25 miles in 30 minutes daily. I know you are very knowledeable on this subject and keep advicing members on all such issues. What will be your advice to me?

[kenkeith]

It is not bothersome to answer questions from the forum or e-mail.  Jon and flycaster are knowledgeable on the subject and probablyy know more than I, however, I appreciate your comment.

You are asking for an interpretation of an echo results that is an interpretation and an estimation that involves combining one-dimensional measurements to  2-d images.

Echo labs make measurments in several ways (M-mode, 2-D on-line or off-line).  Measurements are effected by age, weight, bodybuild, race and there is no indexing/adjusting.  There a many variations in reference limits...referencing M-mode values upper limits LA (es) end of ventricular systole (full) is 5.0 cm.  LV end diastole  is 6.0 cm.  LV end systole is 4 cm.  I am referencing my report and lab.

An MI can be the result of ischemia (lack of blood flow usually due to occluded vessels)  It amost always gradual, so one may experience enlarged heart chambers and symptoms.

Other individuals may heart muscle damage due to viral, etc. heart walls may lose effective contractions causing an MI.  An enlarged chamber can cause arrythmia that causes an MI.  The enlarged chamber/chambers, walls  can be idiopathic (cause unknown), congenital, diesease, etc. that impedes filling and contractions.

It probably is normal to feel anxious.  I never went threw that stage as I had no warning prior to an MI.  I don't feel anxious about another event however.

[MysteryChemist]

It's normal to feel some anxiety after a heart attack.  I had my heart attack 2 years ago and was anxious for the first 1-2 months. (I also went though a depression as well).  What help me was rehab because I started to gain confidence that I could exercise without having problems.

My EF was 40% after my MI.  When my cardiologist told me this, I was taken aback and feared the worse.  He told me not to worry about it as it was only a number. Instead, he told me to concentrate on how I felt.  It took me awhile to understand and accept this.  I have also read about people who have had EFs of 15% doing quite well while people with more normal  EF may have problems.  The key is how you feel, ie can you do the things you want to do? Can you exercise?  My primary care physician also told me to take it one day at a time which was very helpful advice as well.

Recovering after a heart atttack takes time.  It takes time for your heart to heal and it takes times for you to accept what happen and to rebuild your life.

Good luck!!

[Tinu1959]

Many many thanks Kenkeith. Sometimes I wonder whether you are in medical profession. You know so well-exactly what a patient wants to know. And you always reply in such a way that it is easy to understand. I wish my cardiologist had this talent and communication skill. I am gradually and gradually getting well. I sometimes have problems and when I do not know the reason I associate it with my heart and start worring. This forum has helped me to understand many things. For many problems, which used to worry me, now I know the cause or solution. Yourself and many other members on this forum are doing a great job. Thanks for helping.

MysteryChemist

Yes, I am gradually understanding that recovery from MI takes time. I am also getting confidence that this disease require lot of patience and support from caretakers. This forum has given me so much courage to deal with my condition. Thanks.


  

[bob7406]

I had EJ factor of  25 for last 10 years
to-day my ej factor is 19
i would not worry about your ejection factor  i am still alive after 10 years and if i could do it you can do it

bob

[ed34]

personally I don't think it will be too much longer before stem cell research perfects a system for growing new heart tissue to replace dead ones. The research is accelerating very fast now thanks to all the funds being invested. I can see this becoming a working, common procedure within the next ten years at the very most. I have been shocked from reading just how far it has progressed in the last two years. Some clinics are claiming to have this technology working now, but they have mostly been proved as placebo effects.
Hopefully we will all be able to have a new heart in a few years and get the privalege to see the perfect arteries before it's implanted.

[kenkeith]

Dorian, you may be interested to know there is an estimate of about 26% of the heart population are in the heart failure range (<30%EF) and continue their daily routine without any symptoms.  Then there are indivduals who have just below normal (<50%EF) and have heart related symptoms.  Obviously, your system compensates well for any deficiency of a low cardiac output.

As it turned out for me I had a low EF and didn't know, and I compromised my respiratory system by a few days of breathing in a dusty environment (sanding drywall without a mask).  That placed a heavy burden on my heart causing symptomatic heart failure.  Blood backed up in the lungs, and fluids leaked into lung tissues causing edema, and I was in ICU for several days 5 1/2 years ago.