Improve Ejection Fraction

What is Ejection Fraction?

Ejection fraction is a measurement of the amount of blood leaving your heart each time it contracts.

The heart contracts and relaxes many times per minute. When your heart contracts, it ejects blood from the two pumping chambers (ventricles). When your heart relaxes the ventricles refill with blood. No matter how forceful the contraction, the heart can never pump all blood out of a ventricle. The term "ejection fraction" refers to the percentage of blood that's pumped out of a filled ventricle with each heartbeat.

Ejection fraction is typically only measured in the left ventricle (LV). The left ventricle is the heart's main pumping chamber. It pumps oxygen-rich blood into the upward (ascending) aorta to the rest of the body.

A LV ejection fraction of 55% or higher is considered normal.
A LV ejection fraction of 50% or lower is considered reduced.
A LV ejection fraction between 50% and 55% is usually considered "borderline".
A LV ejection fraction of 75% or higher is considered "high".

Ejection fraction is just one of many measurements which helps assess how well your heart is working. Even if your ejection fraction is normal, your overall heart function may not be normal. You should talk with your doctor if you have concerns about your heart.

What is "Normal" Ejection Fraction?

For adults 20 years and over, a "normal" ejection fraction score can be anywhere from 53% to 73%.

A left ventricle ejection fraction below 53% for women and 52% for men is considered low.

An ejection fraction of 45% or below is considered a potential indicator of heart issues.

Ejection fraction can also be too high. An ejection fraction of 75% or higher may indicate a heart condition such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

What Causes Low Ejection Fraction?

As we age, our hearts do too. Heart walls thicken and lose some of their capacity to expand and contract and relax as the years go on. However, a low ejection fraction may also indicate some form of heart damage, including:

Cardiomyopathy. This condition thickens your heart tissue.
Heart attack. This occurs when your heart muscle is damaged when one or more of your arteries becomes blocked.
Coronary artery disease. This condition narrows or blocks your heart's left and right arteries, making blood flow to the heart very difficult.
Systolic heart failure. This occurs when your left ventricle cannot pump enough blood to your body.
Heart valve disease. This occurs when your heart's valves can't open and close properly and blood can't flow into your heart normally.

Common causes of low ejection fraction are:

Alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption is associated with decreased left ventricular ejection fraction.
Anabolic steroid usage. Studies have shown that anabolic steroid users have lower left ventricular ejection fraction than their counterparts.
Drug abuse. A study on cocaine users showed that users had lower left ventricular ejection fraction than their counterparts. Other drugs which tax the body likely produce similar results.
Lack of exercise. Lack of exercise and physical activity can cause many health issues and the heart is no exception.
Obesity. Studies have shown that being overweight impairs left ventricular ejection fraction.
Smoking. Studies have shown that smoking can decrease left ventricular ejection fraction.
Hypertension (high blood pressure). Studies have shown that hypertension can directly cause reduced ejection fraction.
Not taking prescribed medications to control existing conditions (such as hypertension).

Can Low Ejection Fraction Be Improved?

Yes! Low ejection can be improved in a number of ways. A number of different methods to increase your heart's ejection fraction are listed below.

Lifestyle Treatments for Low Ejection Fraction

One of the first places to look in terms of raising your ejection fraction is lifestyle. Improving exercise and diet can not only improve ejection fraction, but general heart function as well.

You can improve your ejection fraction score by making the following lifestyle changes:

Getting the appropriate amount (and intensity) of exercise. Studies have shown that 12 weeks of sticking to an exercise regimen can significantly improve left ventricular ejection fraction.
Losing weight. Studies have shown that weight loss improves left ventricular ejection fraction.
Quit smoking. Studies have shown that smoking is directly linked with lower ejection fraction. Quitting smoking may help raise your ejection fraction. Products like NicoDerm CQ have helped many people quit smoking.
Stop drinking alcohol. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption decreases ejection fraction. Stopping alcohol intake can raise ejection fraction.
Stop using amphetamines. Amphetamines like cocaine, methamphetamine, and other "uppers" have been shown to decrease left ventricular ejection fraction. Stopping their use can positively impact ejection fraction.
Reduce stress. Studies have shown that mental stress can directly impair ejection fraction. By reducing stress you can directly improve ejection fraction. Learning how to meditate is an effective way to reduce stress.

Medication and Supplements to Improve Low Ejection Fraction

In addition to lifestyle changes, medication may also be needed to help raise ejection fraction.

For starters, you should ensure that you use medication to control any known health issues. In particular, ensuring that hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes are under control is incredibly important, as both hypertension and diabetes have been directly shown to lower ejection fraction. Consult with your doctor and make sure you track important health markers.

In addition to using medication to control health issues, you may be able to improve your heart's ejection fraction with the following supplements:

Coenzyme Q10 has been shown to improve left ventricular ejection fraction.
Vitamin D has been shown to improve left ventricular ejection fraction.
Terminalia arjuna has been shown to improve left ventricular ejection fraction.
Resveratrol has been shown to improve left ventricular ejection fraction.

What Causes High Ejection Fraction?

Ejection fraction of 75% or more can indicate a heart condition such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs if heart muscle cells enlarge and cause the walls of the ventricles (usually the left ventricle) to thicken. The ventricle size often remains normal, but the thickening may block blood flow out of the ventricle. If this happens, the condition is called obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is very common and can affect people of any age. If effects men and women equally. It is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, including athletes.