how bad is my heart failure ?

[marleygra]

i am 39 years old and i was recently in the hospital from loss of breath and chest tighness.they found i had suffered heart failure and that my ejection fraction was 20-25%.i have no obstructions in my arteries.they believe it might have been caused by high blood pressure but still dont know. one doctor told me i could go back to work doing carpentry and construction,playing sports, ect. another doctor told me that it may take a year to see any major improvement in my heart and that i shouldnt do any physical activity like that and that it would be possible in a year that if it isnt better i might need a transplant. i still have shortness of breath and alot of fatigue. but i'm wondering who to believe?..doing my own research online seems to support the second doctor. but i'm still lost

[eperdu]

My husband goes to the University of Michigan as well, and was in a very similar boat as you recently:  his EF was down to 10%, they were talking transplant, etc.  It came on very suddenly and they can find no cause (no heart or vascular disease, no smoking, drug use or alcohol, not overweight, etc.).  They are assuming it was viral.

Grendslori is right, these days the doctors are factoring in a lot more variables than just the EF number (it is hard for us to focus on anything BUT that, however).  My husband has had a VO2Max study, which they say is VERY important in diagnosing the degree of heart failure (it's a type of exercise test) and regular blood work measuring his BNP level (basically a stress hormone that the heart emits when it is dilated or stretched).

His doctors tell us that any and all physical activity is great for him...but not to do so much that he feels overly short of breath, dizzy, light headed, or his heart rate gets sky high (basically they said let your body tell you how much exercise it can take).  They said not exercising and avoiding physical activity is the worst thing to do.

Good luck, the conflicting information can be maddening!

[grendslori]

Could be. My daughter goes to the University Of Michigan which is one of the top hospitals here in the U.S. I was always under the impression that CHF was diagnosed with the EF%; apparently it's not, according to them.

[gmachris518]

I guess it depends are where you are, and who your doctor is.  My doctors go by EF to determine the stage of heart failure.

[grendslori]

My daughter had a transplant almost 11 years ago. She just got out of the university hospital with an EF% of 15. They told her that the EF% is not the only consideration in determining heart failure but is a combination of 3 different things, heart,lung and kidney and that it is much more important how the patient feels. To them, the EF%s are not that important and they do not judge heart failure based on those numbers anymore.

[kenkeith]

For a reference, Social Security disability is recognized with an EF below 30%.  Usually, high blood pressure damages and occludes the vessels causing blockages of the coronary vessels, and the lack of blood flow due to the occlusions can/will cause heart failure. The heart enlarges to compensate for the ischemic condition, and an enlarged heart will lose its contractility (low EF). Medication, stent implant or CABG can be the effective therapy, and sometimes the heart will return to normal size and EF with more oxygenated blood to the deficit area.

High blood pressure can cause the heart wall muscle to enlarge and stiffen causing the left ventricle to pump inadequately. Sometimes with successful therapy for blood pressure control, the heart may return to normal.    

It is recommended to engage in some physical activity  as it is considered beneficial for heart patients, It is the doctor who advises the kind and degree physical exertion, and we know that individuals that may have a heart valve disorder, heavy lifting is to be avoided.

If you have shortness of breath and fatigue, that may indicate there still are health issues. Is there a reason why medical intervention, stent or CABG  to treat those symptoms are not administered?