Ejection fraction measures the amount of blood the heart pumps with each contraction; a depressed ejection fraction can indicate heart disease. Tests, including ultrasound, can measure ejection fraction, with a preserved level being over 50%. Invasive action may be required for those with a less preserved ejection fraction. Doctors will diagnose whether systolic or diastolic heart failure has occurred.
The ejection fraction of a body refers to the amount of blood the heart pumps with each contraction from its two ventricles. Ejection from the left and right ventricles can be measured, although it is the left ventricle reading that is of interest to most clinicians. A depressed ejection fraction of less than 50 percent can indicate recent heart failure, with lower scores signaling the onset of heart disease. A preserved ejection fraction, in contrast, is more than 50 percent and means the body is getting the oxygenated blood it needs to keep walking.
A series of tests can measure whether the heart has a preserved ejection fraction. Doctors regularly use ultrasound technology, called an echocardiogram, to measure these levels. Other methods may include catheterization, a computed tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Doctors use the scores for preventative measures, after heart failure to evaluate appropriate treatment, and during treatment to evaluate improvements.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, levels of preserved ejection fraction range from 50 percent to 70 percent. Less than normal is between 36 percent and 49 percent, which could indicate a recent heart failure episode that damaged the heart. Between 35 percent and 40 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic, could mean near-eminent systolic heart failure, and below 35 percent is indicative of a dangerously irregular heartbeat that often leads to a heart attack.
Studies show that about half of heart failure patients had a depressed ejection fraction of less than 40%. With preserved ejection fraction, patients tended to be older women suffering from hypertension and not coronary heart disease. These patients, studies reveal, are more likely to recover from heart failure than those with a depressed ejection fraction.
The less preserved ejection fraction is more likely to lead a doctor to recommend invasive action. Often this means catheter surgery; other times, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is needed. Several heart disease drugs — designed to lower cholesterol and blood pressure — are another likely course of treatment.
During tests after heart failure, doctors will try to diagnose which of the two types of problems exist. With systolic failure, the left ventricle doesn’t beat – or contract – strongly enough, which means that less oxygen is reaching the body’s cells. When diastolic heart failure has occurred, the heart rate may be normal and a preserved ejection fraction is likely. The ventricles, however, can be stiff and inflexible, making it difficult for the heart to process the required amount of blood.
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