Keep your Ejection Fraction number handy

If you have a heart condition, an important number to know is your Ejection Fraction, or EF number, a measurement used to assess heart health. Your EF number is the percentage of blood that’s pumped out of your heart during each beat. 

In a healthy heart, this is 50 to 75 per cent. Anything below 50 per cent could indicate that your heart is no longer pumping well enough to meet your body’s needs. Your heart acts as a pump to send oxygen-rich blood through your body to meet your energy demands. 

If your EF is low, your heart may not be able to deliver a normal supply of blood to your body and brain. This can happen if your heart muscle has become weak or damaged. Damage may result from an injury to the heart muscle, such as a heart attack, or from conditions like longterm, untreated high blood pressure or heart valve disease. 

Over time, a poorly pumping heart may cause symptoms, such as shortness of breath, as your body tries to make up for the decreased blood flow. This condition is called heart failure. Many people with heart failure have a low EF number. 

Ejection Fraction is often measured using an echocardiogram. This simple, painless test uses sound waves (ultrasound) to take a moving picture of your heart and is usually done at the doctor’s office. 

Ask your doctor if your EF number has ever been measured, what it means and whether you should see a heart failure or heart rhythm specialist. Find out when your EF should be measured again. A low EF number is a serious health risk. It can cause electrical problems in the heart, such as dangerously fast or irregular rhythms, which may lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). 

With SCA the heart starts to quiver, rather than beat and pump blood. If not treated immediately, SCA is fatal. One of the best ways to identify your risk of SCA is to have your Ejection Fraction measured. Your EF number can change, so it’s important that you talk to your doctor about tracking it over time just as you would your blood pressure and cholesterol.