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Suggest Treatment For Cardiomyopathy And Low EF
51 yr old male. who has been physically active all of his life. I have normal blood pressure. very low cholesterol. eat a mostly vegetarian diet. exercise. but I have been a smoker for 30 years. and last fall I was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and an EF of 25%. two cardiologists could not tell me why my left ventricular has begun to fail, tho both speculate that the strong 'CHOP' chemo I had for NHL ten years ago may have played a part and suspect I had a virus called Coxsackievirus B when diagnosed last autumn. after 6 months of meds, I had a cardio cath and the EF remains at 25%. tho I have no blockages. I've been recommended for a defib and am still wondering if an ejection fraction can be raised, valve healed on medication alone--with more time and medications. is a defib the only way to go for a low EF?
Mon, 1 Sep 2014
Dear Sir,
It depends to what type of device you were suggested.
If it is only an ICD (implanted cardioverter defibrilator), it is not treatment, it is only for protection. Heart with low EF can induce life threatening arrhythmias, for which indicated ICD.
There is another tipe of defib; CRT. Besides terminating that bad arrhythmais CRT can increase EF, but it is indicated only to patients with broad QRS complexes on ECG.
So, you shouldn't worry. Both devices are good for your heart. First of all they are for the protection from arrhythmias.
And you should know, that even if you implanted the device you should continue your medical treatment.
Hope I could answer to your question
If you have further questions don't hesitate to ask
Regards,
It depends to what type of device you were suggested.
If it is only an ICD (implanted cardioverter defibrilator), it is not treatment, it is only for protection. Heart with low EF can induce life threatening arrhythmias, for which indicated ICD.
There is another tipe of defib; CRT. Besides terminating that bad arrhythmais CRT can increase EF, but it is indicated only to patients with broad QRS complexes on ECG.
So, you shouldn't worry. Both devices are good for your heart. First of all they are for the protection from arrhythmias.
And you should know, that even if you implanted the device you should continue your medical treatment.
Hope I could answer to your question
If you have further questions don't hesitate to ask
Regards,
I find this answer helpful
Hello,
I understand your concern. I have a few patients in a similar situation and modern medicine is not yet able to provide any curative medical treatment for this. Depending upon your symptoms like swelling of legs, breathlessness there is symptomatic treatment. Some of my patients take omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants on their own and for want of anything better, I do not discourage them. The two main risks that people with cardiomyopathy have are dangerous arrhythmias and blood clots . If your doctor has advised you an intracardiac defibillator, it is because he suspects a dangerous arrhythmia. Did you have a holter monitoring done? He might advise you regarding anticoagulation also.
What I have found in many patients is that even though the ejection fraction is low, they are not very symptomatic and lead an active life for many years. I would definitely advise you to stop smoking if you have not done so . Also take care to avoid secondhand smoking.
Best wishes,
Dr. Noble Zachariah
I understand your concern. I have a few patients in a similar situation and modern medicine is not yet able to provide any curative medical treatment for this. Depending upon your symptoms like swelling of legs, breathlessness there is symptomatic treatment. Some of my patients take omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants on their own and for want of anything better, I do not discourage them. The two main risks that people with cardiomyopathy have are dangerous arrhythmias and blood clots . If your doctor has advised you an intracardiac defibillator, it is because he suspects a dangerous arrhythmia. Did you have a holter monitoring done? He might advise you regarding anticoagulation also.
What I have found in many patients is that even though the ejection fraction is low, they are not very symptomatic and lead an active life for many years. I would definitely advise you to stop smoking if you have not done so . Also take care to avoid secondhand smoking.
Best wishes,
Dr. Noble Zachariah
I find this answer helpful
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