What is your ejection fraction?

Your ejection fraction is the percentage of blood pumped out of your heart with each beat. A normal heart pumps out a little more than half the heart's volume of blood with each beat. A normal EF is 55% or higher. Simple, pain free tests such as a nuclear stress test or echocardiogram can evaluate your ejection fraction. If your EF is 40% or less, further testing is needed to evaluate your risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Patients who have had a heart attack and have a low ejection fraction may benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device similar to a pacemaker. The ICD treats the deadly cardiac arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, which causes sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Do you know your EF? If you don't, ask your doctor. It can save your life.