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What Causes A Malfunctioning Heart Muscle?
Question: My son, 53, just collapsed a few days ago. He is in a hospital and has been told that only 20% of his heart is functioning. His arteries are clear. A defibrillator will be inserted today or tomorrow. He does not smoke, nor is he overweight, but I am afraid that the prognosis is not good. There is no heart disease in my family or his father's family. Is there any hope for a somewhat normal life?
Brief Answer:
it depends...
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
a malfunctioning heart muscle can be caused by various conditions of the heart including coronary artery disease and myocardiopathies. I suppose that his ejection fraction will get better with treatment, although I cannot predict how much... If his ejection fraction is too low, he's going to have shortness of breath even with minimal physical activity which will vastly impair his quality of life. If a better ejection fraction is achieved then he would be able to live a near normal life, although his cardiovascular risk would still be high.
The drugs themselves may cause various side effects. The side effects cannot be predicted either. It depends on many factors, that cannot be fully assessed.
So in conclusion, although you haven't mentioned the actual diagnosis, your son's condition is not good and he'll probably experience problems later in his life, particularly with his physical abilities and his risk for another cardiovascular incident is higher than the average person's risk.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information (if you'd like to provide the diagnosis for example).
Kind Regards!
it depends...
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
a malfunctioning heart muscle can be caused by various conditions of the heart including coronary artery disease and myocardiopathies. I suppose that his ejection fraction will get better with treatment, although I cannot predict how much... If his ejection fraction is too low, he's going to have shortness of breath even with minimal physical activity which will vastly impair his quality of life. If a better ejection fraction is achieved then he would be able to live a near normal life, although his cardiovascular risk would still be high.
The drugs themselves may cause various side effects. The side effects cannot be predicted either. It depends on many factors, that cannot be fully assessed.
So in conclusion, although you haven't mentioned the actual diagnosis, your son's condition is not good and he'll probably experience problems later in his life, particularly with his physical abilities and his risk for another cardiovascular incident is higher than the average person's risk.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information (if you'd like to provide the diagnosis for example).
Kind Regards!
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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