Newly diagnosed 45% ejection Cardiomyopathy??

[axelrose]

Diagnosed due to chest pains which warranted a arterial gram through the groin. Arteries were clear but follow-up visit was given diagnosed Non Ischemic Cardiomyopathy with 45% ejection?

I'm 40 yr old male heavy and heavy smoker.

What does this diagnosis mean?
How can I reverse it?
Why aren't my doctors willing to spend more than 90 seconds to discuss this diagnosis?

I can handle very terrible bad news so don't be gentle because what I want are truthful answers ..

I especially would LOVE to know the Survival Rates for me?

[ed34]

1. Give up smoking to get more Oxygen into the blood (which will make exercise easier)
2. Eat healthy foods and lose weight.
3. When you have stopped smoking for 48 hours, start walking for 30 mins a day and
    increase this each week until you are up to an hour.

You will be surprised how much smoking reduces the Oxygen level in your blood. You will feel a huge difference after just 24 hours if you are on 3 packs a day.

[axelrose]

Did I fail to mention I also weigh nearly 400 pounds, smoke 3 packs a day, have sendentary lifestyle, bipolar and more psychiatric disorder too many to list or have data on...

Now, same question WITH this NEW INFO???

What would you say now?

p.s. I get winded "completely out of breath like breathing has stopped" doing minor things like moving around the bed, standing up, laying down, walking....etc..


Pouring my heart out fellas, throw me a bone.

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: "Arteries were clear but follow-up visit was given diagnosed Non Ischemic Cardiomyopathy with 45% ejection?

What does this diagnosis mean?
How can I reverse it?
Why aren't my doctors willing to spend more than 90 seconds to discuss this diagnosis?"

>>>>>Approximately 6 years ago my EF was less than 29% (considered heart failure range), and I had congested heart failure...no symptoms until congested heart failure.  My condition was ischemic (lack of blood flow) and the underlying cause were vessel lesions that caused impaired heart wall movement (hypokinesis) and that impairment reduced the amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat. Restoration of blood flow with a stent and medication has reduced the left ventricle to normal size and an EF of 59%.

Hypokinesis can be the result of respiration disorder.  For an insight, "If oxygen delivery to cells is insufficient for the demand (hypoxia), hydrogen will be shifted to pyruvic acid converting it to lactic acid. This temporary measure (anaerobic metabolism) allows small amounts of energy to be produced. Lactic acid build up in tissues and blood is a sign of inadequate mitochondrial oxygenation, which may be due to hypoxemia, poor blood flow (e.g., shock) or a combination of both. If severe or prolonged it could lead to cell death".  Smoking can be the cause of hypoxia.  The triggering event that caused my CHF was the inhalation of dust, chemical fumes in a working environment for a couple of days without a mask.  Tests showed I also had CAD.

Source WD: Dilated cardiomyopathy has a 50% mortality after 5 years; 50% of patients improve to normal within the first few months of delivery....depending on the underlying problem you may completely recover as I did. I got another cardiologist that is more patient friendly.

The origin of most cardiomyopathies is unknown. Occasionally, dilated cardiomyopathy (I assume your condition is dilated left ventricle) results from myocardial destruction by toxic, infectious, or metabolic agents, such as certain viruses, endocrine and electrolyte disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. Usually, the dilated enlarged left ventricle is cause by the heart's heavy workload of pumping against high resistance of narrow blood vessels.

I can identify your experience with the cardiologist.  He give very little time for consultation....probably due very little English knowledge.  When I asked how long I had he pointed to the sky and walked out.

Thanks for sharing.  If you have any followup questions, you are welcome to ask.

[grendslori]

An EF% of 45 is really not that bad. The normal value is 50-70%. Too many people rely ONLY on the EF%s. They now do not only consider that factor, but combine it with lung function, kidney function as well as how the person 'looks' overall. My daughter is walking around with a transplanted heart with a 15% EF and she is walking around and working part time (she has never been able to work full time). You would never know, by looking at her that her EF%s are that low. The non-ischemic means that the bloodflow to your heart muscle is normal. Don't bank on ANY survival rates, they are never accurate. (see the post about living 1 year? on this forum.....you'll see what I mean by what i wrote to that poster) As far as the doctor goes. Get a new one and keep looking until you find a doctor who is willing to sit down with you and explain EVERYTHING. And when you leave this present doctor I would walk out ON him and as I walked out I would turn to him and remind him that YOU pay his paycheck, it's not the other way around!!

[Mom2four85]

I'm sorry to hear your doctors are like that; mine are too and even when I question them I don't get answers, even switching doctors didn't help :(

I was dx with Non ischemic CM ef 40% and concentric LVH but because I have never had high bp they said it wasn't anything to worry about; I've heard that line before :P

I hope someone can give you an answer or at least ease your mind about this.  It's frustrating as a patient that most doctors treat patient like we won't understand or don't explain at all.  The only time I've gotten answers is through a NP at my cardiologists office.

good luck