What is left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)?
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measures how much blood the heart pumps with each beat. Dr Ravi Assomull explains why this measurement is important in conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy and how improvements in LVEF can occur with modern medical therapies.
Learn more about Cardiomyopathy or book a consultation with Dr Assomull – no GP referral needed, appointments typically within one working day.
Transcript
An ejection fraction is the proportion of blood that is expelled from the left ventricle with every heartbeat. A normal ejection fraction is typically around 60%, whereas those with a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy can have a very low ejection fraction, sometimes as low as 10-20%. The good news is that with modern-day tablet therapy, a significant proportion of patients can see some improvement in their heart function, and actually in some cases there is complete recovery of cardiac function.
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