Will a heart ejection fraction 35 percent or less live 5 years?

Answer 1

Hard to say. An ejection faction of 40 or lower can indicate that the patient MAY die of cardiac arrest. After the first year after a heart attack your chances of dying suddenly, drop. (no pun intended) The average life expectancy of someone under 50 who suffers an acute myocardial infarction is just over 11 years. Obviously the older the patient the less time they will have. Met an elderly gentleman on a hike in the mountains, he told me he had to that point made it 20 years after a heart attack although severity plays a role and he did not mention how bad it was. The ejection fraction seems to be lower according to the severity of the attack. The bigger the blockage and the length of time before reperfusion (unblocking and allowing blood to flow)factor in as well, in other words the amount of heart tissue death( it's permanent) is directly related to ejection fraction. After a heart attack the heart "remodels" somewhat, it becomes bigger in an attempt to make up for lost pumping function. This results in stretching, this along with scar tissue can disrupt the the electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract, this results in a weak rapid heart beat that does not move enough blood to keep the body alive. Often called a major heart attack although in fact it is not. It is called sudden cardiac death or SCD. If it's any consolation the death is relatively quick with the patient usually losing consciousness in 10 seconds due to lack of blood to the brain. Some don't get it so easy taking years to decline and die from congestive heart failure, which is the backing up of fluids in the body and lungs from low ejection fraction. I hope this answer helps you and that you did not find it too jaded or direct, as I have found through experience it's best to know the truth about this, as opposed to hiding from it. I know all this because I myself had an acute mi (heart attack) 1.5 years ago at the age of 45. My advice to you or whomever you are asking this question for is this. Tie up loose ends, get things right with the man upstairs (if that is your thing) forgive people who have wronged you and ask for forgiveness from those you wronged, unless doing so would hurt them, reconcile with family and close friends with whom you may be fighting with, more so for them than yourself. Live each day like it is your last and pray that you are one of the exceptions. Although I have never been a religious man i find that praying helps...it is said that there are no atheist on deathbeds. There is much info about it online just make sure you take it with a grain of salt. If you have any questions or need some support please feel free to contact me seamusdog420@Yahoo.com