Ejection fraction (EF) - an important indicator in the diagnosis of heart failure

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was written by Master, Doctor Nguyen Van Phong, Doctor of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Intervention, Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital
Besides clinical symptoms, medical history, blood tests... ejection fraction (EF - Ejection Fraction) is an important indicator to evaluate left ventricular systolic function in patients with heart failure.

1. What is ejection fraction (EF)?

Currently, many patients do not have a clear and complete understanding of the meaning and value of this indicator. Ejection fraction (EF) or more accurately called left ventricular ejection fraction is an index used to evaluate left ventricular systolic function, showing the actual amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle into the arteries. after each stroke compared to the total amount of blood contained in the left ventricle before each pump.
EF = (left ventricular end-diastolic volume – left ventricular end-systolic volume)/left ventricular end-diastolic volume x 100%
According to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) the EF in a normal person is > 50%. However, according to the Vietnam Heart Institute (VNHA), the EF index is 63±7%

2. 2. Meaning of ejection fraction (EF)

Echocardiography, which can measure EF, helps identify left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with heart failure. When your EF is below the normal value (<50%) it means your heart is showing signs of weakness, especially when the EF is < 35%.
For patients with heart failure, in addition to the ability to predict the disease, EF also has a very important meaning in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment. The change in EF indicates whether the treatment is really working. Therefore, being aware of the EF will help heart failure patients better understand their condition, and at the same time evaluate the effectiveness of their treatment so that the doctor can adjust the optimal treatment method. Nowadays, the determination of EF index in cardiovascular patients is carried out simply and with high accuracy through echocardiography - a measure of cardiovascular exploration that has been widely applied in clinical practice.
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