EF AND EFFICIENCY OF THE HEART

When our heart receives oxygenated blood from the lungs, it expands and this is called diastole. After blood gets filled to a certain extent, it begins contracting, called systole, and supplies blood to various organs in the body. Our heart beats 72 times per minute and during every heart beat, the heart keeps supplying blood to different organs in the body continuously.

The numerical indicating the efficiency of the heart, the systole and diastole, is called ejection fraction (EF). The amount of blood that the heart can supply to organs against the total amount of blood received from lungs is called as Ejection Fraction (EF), expressed in percentage.

VALUE OF EF

The heart does not pump all the blood received to the organs. When the heart constricts, a little beyond half of the blood received is sent to the blood vessels. Generally, the heart will pump around 55 to 70 per cent. In a healthy person, the EF should be 65 per cent which means 65 per cent of the blood received during diastole is pumped to the organs during systole. If it is below 40 per cent, the patient is vulnerable to heart failure. If the EF is below 35 per cent, the heart beat in such persons can be irregular, a condition called arrhythmias, that can lead to life threatening condition.

DIFFERENT METHODS TO ESTIMATE EFFICIENCY OF HEART

ECHO TEST:

Usually EF is estimated through this test. This test is performed with the help of a machine emitting ultra sound. The accuracy of the test depends on the expertise of the technician/doctor performing It.

MRI SCAN:

Of late, the efficiency of heart is being assessed, under special circumstances, through this test too. If the muscles in the heart lose strength, this test will allow the doctor to know how far the muscles would be able to recover. This test is expensive and at the same time, not available in every place.

CARDIAC CATH:

This is another test through which the efficiency of the heart’s muscle can be calculated. After the advent of MRI scan, this test has lost significance as pipes and needles used in this test might prove dangerous sometimes.

WHICH IS HARMFUL?

Heart failure means inability of the heart muscles to function to their efficiency. The efficiency does not depend on the systole alone. Heart failure can occur due to an error in the diastole too.

The EF will remain normal even if there is an error in the diastole but the efficiency will be less. This means that there can be a heart failure even when the EF might be normal. Increasing obesity and diabetes are covering up the irregularity in EF. In recent times, heart failure has become a common cause of death in senior citizens.

Dr C. Raghu, interventional cardiologist, Aster Prime Hospitals, Hyderabad, says the intensity of a heart failure will be the same due to an deficiency either in the systole or diastole. Unfortunately, the remedy to rectify the diastole movement is still under research.

EF VALUE AND SYMPTOMS

It is not just the EF that would determine the efficiency of the heart. Symptoms also play a major role. It will not be possible to say that a heart failure would occur if the EF alone is less. For further details contact-9848155650

TREATING LOW EF

It is suggested that people whose EF is decreasing, consult a doctor immediately. There is a chance to deal with the situation with the newly-found efficient medicines. However, if the patient has swollen legs, breathlessness, swollen face and cervical nerves, these can be considered as indications for a heart failure.

Book Appointment: Dr C. Raghu, interventional cardiologist, Aster Prime Hospitals, Hyderabad