Ejection fraction (EF) measures how effectively your heart pumps blood with each beat. It quantifies the percentage of blood leaving the left ventricle during each contraction, providing important information about overall heart function. A reduced ejection fraction suggests the heart may not be pumping efficiently, potentially impacting daily activities.
Understanding Ejection Fraction
Ejection fraction is expressed as a percentage. For men, a normal range is 52% to 72%, and for women, 54% to 74%. An EF between 41% and 49% is mildly reduced, while below 40% indicates reduced ejection fraction, often signaling heart failure.
Conditions that weaken or damage the heart muscle can lead to a reduced ejection fraction. These include heart attack damage, uncontrolled chronic high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, or heart valve issues.
Lifestyle Interventions for Improving Ejection Fraction
Lifestyle adjustments play a significant role in supporting heart health and can contribute to improving ejection fraction. These patient-driven strategies focus on daily habits that reduce strain on the heart and enhance its function. Adopting these changes can complement medical treatments in managing heart conditions.
Dietary Changes
Focusing on a heart-healthy diet is a fundamental step. This often involves principles similar to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Limiting sodium intake is particularly important, as excess sodium can lead to fluid retention and increased blood pressure, putting additional stress on the heart. Reducing consumption of saturated fats and processed foods can also support cardiovascular health by helping to manage cholesterol levels and prevent plaque buildup in arteries.
Regular Physical Activity
Engaging in regular physical activity strengthens the heart muscle and improves its pumping efficiency. Even moderate activities like walking or light cardio can be beneficial. For individuals with heart conditions, consulting a healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program is important to ensure safety and effectiveness. Cardiac rehabilitation programs offer supervised exercise and education tailored to individual needs, helping to improve exercise capacity and overall cardiovascular fitness.
Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy body weight directly reduces the workload on the heart. Excess weight can increase blood pressure and cholesterol levels, forcing the heart to work harder to circulate blood. Achieving and sustaining a healthy weight alleviates this strain, allowing the heart to function more efficiently.
Smoking Cessation
Quitting smoking is one of the most impactful actions for improving heart health. Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of plaque buildup, contributing to heart disease and further reducing heart function. Within a year of quitting, the risk of a heart attack can be halved compared to a smoker, and over time, the cardiovascular benefits continue to accrue. Smoking cessation reduces inflammation and improves overall cardiovascular function.
Alcohol Moderation
Excessive alcohol consumption can directly harm the heart muscle, leading to a condition called alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy, where the heart stretches and weakens. Heavy drinking can also contribute to high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation. Moderating alcohol intake or abstaining altogether can help prevent further damage and may allow the heart to recover some function.
Stress Management
Managing stress is beneficial for overall heart health. Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. Techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or yoga can help reduce stress levels. These practices support a healthier nervous system response, which in turn can positively influence heart function and reduce the burden on the cardiovascular system.
Medical Approaches to Increasing Ejection Fraction
Beyond lifestyle changes, medical interventions supervised by healthcare professionals are often necessary to improve ejection fraction, especially in cases of significant impairment. These approaches are tailored to the individual’s specific condition and are crucial for managing heart health.
Medications
Several classes of medications improve heart function and reduce strain. ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors (e.g., ramipril, lisinopril) and Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) (e.g., valsartan, candesartan) relax blood vessels, making pumping easier. Beta-blockers (e.g., carvedilol, metoprolol) slow the heart rate and reduce its workload. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) like spironolactone help remove excess fluid and improve heart function. Newer medications, such as SGLT2 inhibitors (e.g., dapagliflozin, empagliflozin), have shown significant benefits in reducing heart failure hospitalizations and improving outcomes.
Medical Devices
Certain medical devices can assist the heart in pumping more effectively. Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) involves implanting a specialized pacemaker that helps the heart’s ventricles beat in a more coordinated way, which can improve ejection fraction in some patients with specific electrical conduction problems. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are primarily used to prevent life-threatening irregular heart rhythms, which can be a risk in individuals with very low ejection fraction.
Surgical Interventions
Surgical procedures may be necessary when underlying structural issues contribute to a low ejection fraction. Valve repair or replacement surgery can correct faulty heart valves that impede blood flow and proper heart pumping. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a procedure that reroutes blood around blocked arteries to improve blood supply to the heart muscle. CABG can be a viable option for patients with coronary artery disease and low ejection fraction, often leading to significant clinical improvement and enhanced survival.
Monitoring and Ongoing Management
Effective management of ejection fraction involves consistent monitoring and adherence to a long-term care plan. This ongoing commitment is essential for sustaining improvements in heart health. Individuals with reduced ejection fraction generally require continuous medical oversight.
Regular check-ups with cardiologists and primary care physicians are important to track heart function and adjust treatment as needed. These appointments allow healthcare providers to assess the effectiveness of interventions and monitor for any changes in condition. Consistent adherence to prescribed medications and lifestyle recommendations is also critical for maintaining stability and preventing further decline in heart function.
Patients should be aware of symptoms that might indicate a worsening of their condition, such as increased shortness of breath, swelling, or unusual fatigue, and report these promptly to their healthcare team. Open communication with healthcare providers about progress, concerns, and any new symptoms ensures that care plans remain appropriate and responsive to changing needs. This collaborative approach helps optimize long-term outcomes for individuals managing their ejection fraction.