Have you been told that your ejection fraction (EF) is low? The medical term for this is cardiomyopathy, literally meaning heart muscle dysfunction. To add more confusion, this situation is also known as congestive heart failure (CHF).
But where there is a cause, there is a cure. Pharma is always recommended by standard cardiologists, but there is a better way to heart health and longevity. The Cleveland Clinic page on low ejection fraction has the basics, but not real solutions. Pharma may be necessary in the short term, but the idea is to get people off meds as soon as possible.
Let’s talk about what causes low ejection fraction, the standard medical approach and our holistic treatment strategies to fix low EF.
What does it mean to have a low ejection fraction?
The heart muscle pumps blood to the body. The left ventricle is one of the four chambers of the heart and is responsible for accepting oxygenated blood from the lungs and ejecting it to the body. Before the left ventricle ejects blood, it is relaxed. This is called diastole. The amount of blood volume in the heart during diastole is around 120ml for an adult. When the heart contracts, known as systole, the end volume is 60ml. That means 60ml was ejected. So 60/120 is 50% ejection fraction. Anything from 50 to 65% is typically considered normal at rest.
If your ejection fraction is lower, that is known as cardiomyopathy or CHF. Number can range from 10% to 45%, with the lower the number, the more the severity.
Symptoms of low ejection fraction include shortness of breath, leg swelling (edema) and abdominal distention (from fluid in the liver and intestines). Other symptoms include shortness of breath when lying flat/supine (orthopnea) or suddenly waking from sleep short of breath (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea/PND).
Causes of low ejection fraction
The proximate causes of low ejection fraction include: heart attack as a cause of ischemic cardiomyopathy OR non-ischemic cardiomyopathy from hypertension, myocarditis, alcohol, tachycardia (fast heart rate usually from atrial fibrillation), vitamin deficiency, thyroid disorder, drug-induced, or valvular heart disease. Valve disease examples include such aortic stenosis, aortic insufficiency, or mitral regurgitation.
Additional causes include radiation-induced, post-partum, infection, autoimmune, sleep apnea.
Doctors typically say it was a virus, but this diagnosis is unlikely.
But the above do not really tell us about the WHY or the real causes.
The real causes of low ejection fraction are from violations of Eat Well, Live Well, Think Well.
You can read about our Eat Well, Live Well, Think Well method in the Learning Center of our website by clicking the button on the menu bar above.
Diagnosis
Tests that one can expect include: ECG, echocardiogram, coronary angiogram, MRI. Blood tests can help look at thyroid, vitamins/minerals, and viruses (unlikely).
The echocardiogram is the best test of the above with the least toxicity. An MRI can be done, but is usually not necessary.
Please see below of the methods we use at Natural Heart Doctor.
Pharma
The typical pharma approach may include any of the following, typically in combination: beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARB, spironolactone or eplerenone, Entresto (ARB/neprilysin inhibitor), digoxin, and diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix). Recently, a new class of pharmaceuticals have been added to the mix. SGLT2 inhibitors such as canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin.
Pharma may result in some significant improvement but also significant side effects. And your cardiovascular issues are not related to a pharma deficiency.
Is there a long-term plan to get you off the drugs? At NHD, our goal is always to safely reduce and/or eliminate pharmaceutical usage.
NHD Testing (Test, Don’t Guess)
At Natural Heart Doctor, we believe in using the most advanced testing in the world to find the WHY someone has disease and use the information to FIX the problem. You can read more about testing on our website. Level 2 is usually a good place to start.
You see, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are linked to low ejection fraction. What if a B1, zinc or copper deficiency is causing your heart failure? What if low levels of magnesium, potassium, copper and/or zinc are the source? Or mold mycotoxins or environmental toxins?
Mainstream doesn’t get this as it is not how we are trained. But their lack of knowledge in this area is especially troublesome for so many.
Don’t forget to get tested for sleep apnea. We recommend the WatchPAT home test here.
Nutritional supplementation for low ejection fraction
It is very important to get appropriate lab testing and treat the results. But here are some recommendations based on data and what has worked for my patients.
We have a full protocol of options for people with low ejection fraction. You can learn more about our Level 1, 2, and 3 by clicking here. We suggest using the full spectrum of those products as tolerated. And if you have questions about any of the above, please email us or schedule a free health coaching call. Our doctors, of course, are always available for consultation as well. Just click the appointments tab on the menu bar.
Biohacking for low ejection fraction
I am not going to bore you with the science on why the following works. If you want more information on these modalities, please search our website or that of the companies we recommend for said biohacking strategies. Emailing us is always offered to you as an option.
- Sauna
- Red light therapy
- Essential oils (I like the Circulation blend)
- VieLight
Follow Up
Our typical approach is to try our methods and re-test the ejection fraction in 6 months. At that time, hopefully the EF is improved and pharma can be reduced. Either way, we give people options and discuss the best plan of action for the individual.
Please consider:
- A free coaching call for the best plan for you
- A 2nd opinion consultation with one of our providers
