hypertension Lvef 60%

[Charleese]

Hi Everyone,

As you know in topic filing for increase I stated the following:

13. Hypertensive Heart Disease - Secondary to Hypertension. This report was done on 5/18/05 but we cannot understand what they are saying about this even though they devoted a whole page to it. Would like to put this down for increase just in case. Also, they said on 5/26/05 that an Echo Report was sent to him and they state that patient is scheduled to RTC in 6M, whatever RTC means we don't know. In 4/20/2005 VA report states "EKG done: NS with occasional premature VEN Complex otherwise Normal EKG." His Hypertension medication (Losartan) states it is for both HBP/heart.

Now VA Medical Records Progress Notes dated 1/10/2006 it states "Also has H/O LVEF 60% on 2D echo done in 5/2005.

Can someone tell us what LVEF 60% on 2D echo mean?

Thanks in advance.

[Guest jangrin]

LVEF 60% 2D echo

left ventricle ejection fraction 60 percent (using) 2- dimentional echo (like a sonogram)

Jangrin

[Charleese]

Jangrin,

What does this relate to is the heart, hypertension, what? Is this bad or good?

[Guest jangrin]

The ejection fraction is a measurement of how effcient the heart is working (pumping blood). I don't know enough about the heart /ekg/tests results the experts have to take all these tests and more... like blood pressure/ pulse etc. into consideration and then they can decide or make a determination at what level the heart is actually working and if there is impairment.

My husband had an ejection fraction of 59% (by nuclear perfusion test) but for his age they said he was in the "nornal" range.

I think the only true test is the heart cath. Then you really know what is going on. The other tests may indicate something but they will not always give a very accurate picture.

Maybe "jbasser" will be on line today or you can IM him here at Hadit. He is very knowledgable about hearts and hypertension. Oh by the way we think that

"RTC" in 6M is (Report to Center in 6 months) or (Return to Center)

Jangrin

[Testvet]

Jangrin I have had a failed triple bypass and 13 caths my ejection fraction is 25% anything below 30% is automatic approval for SSD and I beleive the VA uses the same number however the VA uses the % in increments towards disability where with SS it's all or nothing, 59% is what a "healthy" person will show on the sonogram

doing a cath just to get a ejection fraction is dangerous and normally not done due to the risk of puncturing the vessels unless there is a suspected blockage they usually won't do a cath, they use everything but, stress tests, sonograms echocardiograms etc I would give my left arm for a ejection factor of 59% again the last time I had one that high was 1997 right after my triple bypass and before they collapsed.

I see my cardiac doc at the VA every 6 months due to the heart disease and have since 2002 unless I have issues which I do occasionally I refused to let them put in the new defiblirator they wanted to put in I don't have atrial fibliration and I can't justify the risks now or again in 5 years to replace it due to batteries...

Edited June 9, 2007 by Testvet (see edit history)

[Guest jangrin]

Jangrin I have had a failed triple bypass and 13 caths my ejection fraction is 25% anything below 30% is automatic approval for SSD and I beleive the VA uses the same number however the VA uses the % in increments towards disability where with SS it's all or nothing, 59% is what a "healthy" person will show on the sonogram

doing a cath just to get a ejection fraction is dangerous and normally not done due to the risk of puncturing the vessels unless there is a suspected blockage they usually won't do a cath, they use everything but, stress tests, sonograms echocardiograms etc I would give my left arm for a ejection factor of 59% again the last time I had one that high was 1997 right after my triple bypass and before they collapsed.

I see my cardiac doc at the VA every 6 months due to the heart disease and have since 2002 unless I have issues which I do occasionally I refused to let them put in the new defiblirator they wanted to put in I don't have atrial fibliration and I can't justify the risks now or again in 5 years to replace it due to batteries...

Thanks Mike,

Charleese was asking about the 60% EF, but I didn't know enough about all the variables. Yea, your right, when my husband failed his stress test and then the Nuclear Perfusion had positive findings, and then the Cat Scan of the heart showing multiple blockages, he still had an EF of 59% BUT, the VA did not want to do the Heart cath because they were afraid they would cause more damage to the heart.

It's a mixed bag. A heart cath can find blockage and the cardiologist can sometimes do a stent. Usually it means bypass or by-passes and reduced lifestyle or possible further injury. The other option is to wait for a heart attack because right now the life style is better than it would be if you had to have bypass. The MD's have treated our situation like it is a coin flip, as far as I'm concerned. Great medical minds but they have yet to agree on what to do about my husband's heart condition...so we wait, and he takes medications that we are now finding out my cause heart attacks, hmm...

Jangrin

[Testvet]

in my opinion since he's well monitored I would wait until it HAS to be done. In Feb 1997 I was told I would have 15 good years no problesm if I went ahead with the triple bypass they operated on my on 13 Feb I was supposed to be in the hopsital for 4 days, I was not disachrged until 30 March 6 weeks later, if it could go wrong it did. In May I trew a blood clot and caused a heart attack another cath to remove the clot from my heart, in August I fell out at work another trip to the VA another cath this time they placed a stent, damn here come Nov guess hwta down I went again another bypass failed I spent thanksgiving getting another stent then I had a break it let me go to Fathers Day 1998 on the way home rom my daughters house and the chest pains started one of the bypasses closed off and was not repairable they got one of the original bypassed arteries open and put a stent in it. I was safe until June 2002 the week my wifes father died my legs swelled up like balloons, I had to buy new pants a shoes to go the the funeral after it was over she took me to the VA bingo all the by[passes were closed off and they were to close to the wall of the heart, no further surgery medicate until death. Told me to apply for SSD and VA that was Oct 20 2002 SSD was approved in April no questions asked and here I ma five years later still fighting with the VARO over it. If I had to do it all over again I would have not done the bypasses and went for the stents to start with, it would have been a hell of a lot better off, and I wouldn't have missed 6 months of work for open heart...things may still have turned out the same way but it would have been easier on my body,.,,, we are all different and we are all affected diferrently....good luck and think hard before making choices....Mike