{"id":13136,"date":"2025-01-29T20:40:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T13:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13136"},"modified":"2025-01-29T20:40:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T13:40:52","slug":"ejection-fraction-an-important-heart-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13136","title":{"rendered":"Ejection fraction: An important heart test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"main-content\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"main\">\n<!--googleon: all--><\/p>\n<p><h2>What does the term &#8220;ejection fraction&#8221; mean? What does it measure?<\/h2>\n<p>\tAnswer From Rekha Mankad, M.D.<\/p>\n<p>Ejection fraction is a measurement of the percentage of blood leaving the heart each time it squeezes. When the heart squeezes, it&#8217;s called a contraction. Ejection fraction is just one of many tests your healthcare professional may use to see how your heart works.<\/p>\n<p>The heart squeezes and relaxes. When the heart squeezes, it pumps out \u2014 or ejects \u2014 blood from the two lower heart chambers, called ventricles. When the heart relaxes, the ventricles refill with blood. No matter how forceful the contraction, the heart can never pump all the blood out of a ventricle. The term &#8220;ejection fraction&#8221; is the amount of blood \u2014 as a percentage \u2014 that&#8217;s pumped out of a filled ventricle with each heartbeat.<\/p>\n<p>The ejection fraction is usually measured only in the left ventricle. The left ventricle is the heart&#8217;s main pumping chamber. It pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body&#8217;s main artery, called the aorta. The blood then goes to the rest of the body.<\/p>\n<p>According to the American Heart Association:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction of about 50% to 70% is categorized as normal.<\/li>\n<li>A mildly reduced LV ejection fraction is usually between 41% and 49%.<\/li>\n<li>A reduced LV ejection fraction is usually 40% or less.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even if your ejection fraction is OK, your overall heart function may not be healthy. Talk with your healthcare professional if you have concerns about your heart.<\/p>\n<p>Some things that may cause a reduced ejection fraction are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Weakness of the heart muscle, such as cardiomyopathy.<\/li>\n<li>Heart attack that damaged the heart muscle.<\/li>\n<li>Heart valve disease.<\/li>\n<li>Long-term, uncontrolled high blood pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ejection fraction can be measured with imaging tests, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Echocardiogram.<\/strong> This is the most common test used to measure ejection fraction. Sound waves make pictures of the beating heart. An echocardiogram shows how blood flows through the heart and heart valves.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cardiac catheterization.<\/strong> A long, thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted in a blood vessel, usually in the groin or wrist, and guided to the heart. Images taken during this test can measure the ejection fraction of the heart.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).<\/strong> An MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of specific parts of the body. When an MRI is used to study the heart, it&#8217;s called a cardiac MRI.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Computerized tomography (CT).<\/strong> A CT scan uses X-rays to create cross-sectional images of specific parts of the body. When a CT scan is used to study the heart, it&#8217;s called a cardiac CT.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nuclear medicine scan.<\/strong> During a nuclear medicine scan, trace amounts of radioactive material are put into your bloodstream through an IV. Special cameras then track the radioactive material in your blood as it flows through your heart and lungs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--googleoff: all--><\/p>\n<div class=\"contentbox no-border\">\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/~\/media\/kcms\/ux\/css\/newslettereh.css\"\/>\n<article>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>\n                \u00a0\n            <\/p>\n<div class=\"myc-subscription-form\" data-sending-url=\"https:\/\/s74881809.t.eloqua.com\/e\/f2\" data-name-form=\"MKT.PES.HC.EmailSignup2\" data-last-step=\"true\">\n<div class=\"myc-step-container\">\n<div class=\"myc-subscription-step-wrapper\" id=\"first-step\" aria-describedby=\"formTitle\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"myc-form-comp-wrapper\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"gralError\" aria-describedby=\"errorBanner\" hidden=\"\">\n<p role=\"alert\" id=\"errorBanner\" class=\"myc-error-header\">There is a problem with<br \/>\n                                information submitted for this request. 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You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on<br \/>\n                                the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n                            <button type=\"button\" class=\"myc-primaryBtn\" id=\"newsletterTrigger\">Subscribe!<\/button>\n                        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"myc-subscription-step-wrapper\" id=\"second-step\" hidden=\"\">\n<div class=\"myc-subscription-form-ending\" id=\"happypath\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-labelledby=\"happyending\" hidden=\"\">\n<h3 id=\"happyending\">Thank you for subscribing!<\/h3>\n<p>You&#8217;ll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"myc-subscription-form-ending\" id=\"sadpath\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-labelledby=\"sadending\" hidden=\"\">\n<h3 id=\"sadending\">Sorry something went wrong with your subscription<\/h3>\n<p>Please, try again in a couple of minutes<\/p>\n<p>\n                                <button type=\"button\" class=\"myc-wordBtn myc-retry\">Retry<\/button>\n                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--googleon: all--><\/p>\n<p><!--googleoff: snippet--><\/p>\n<menu class=\"social\"\/>\n<p>    <span class=\"moddate\">Jan. 29, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"expandable references\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"acces-show-hide\" data-show=\"Show references\" data-hide=\"Hide references\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"dvReferenceListPC\">Show references<\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"dvReferenceListPC\">\n<ol>\n<li>Libby P, et al., eds. Heart failure with a preserved and mildly reduced ejection fraction. In: Braunwald&#8217;s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Elsevier; 2022. https:\/\/www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Ejection fraction heart failure measurement. American Heart Association. https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/heart-failure\/diagnosing-heart-failure\/ejection-fraction-heart-failure-measurement. Accessed Oct. 31, 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Common tests for heart failure. American Heart Association. https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/heart-failure\/diagnosing-heart-failure\/common-tests-for-heart-failure#. Accessed Oct. 31, 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Fuster V, et al., eds. Diagnosis and management of chronic heart failure. In: Fuster and Hurst&#8217;s the Heart. 15th ed. McGraw Hill; 2022. https:\/\/accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Srivastava PK, et al. Heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction. Current Heart Failure Reports. 2020; doi:10.1007\/s11897-019-00451-0.<\/li>\n<li>Heidenreich PA, et al. 2022 AHA\/ACC\/HFSA guideline for the management of heart failure. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2022; doi:10.1016\/j.jacc.2021.12.012.<\/li>\n<li>Mankad R (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Feb. 14, 2021.<\/li>\n<li>Heidenreich PA, et al. 2022 AHA\/ACC\/HFSA guideline for the management of heart failure: A report of the American College of Cardiology\/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2022; doi:10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001063.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/ekg\/about\/pac-20384983\" class=\"blocklink\">See more Expert Answers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--googleoff: all--><\/p>\n<p><!--googleon: all--><\/p>\n<p><!--googleoff: all--><\/p>\n<p><!--googleon: all--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                    .&#13;\n                <\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/ekg\/expert-answers\/ejection-fraction\/faq-20058286\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does the term &#8220;ejection fraction&#8221; mean? What does it measure? Answer From Rekha Mankad, M.D. Ejection fraction is a measurement of the percentage of blood leaving the heart each time it squeezes. When the heart squeezes, it&#8217;s called a contraction. Ejection fraction is just one of many tests your healthcare professional may use to &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13136\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}