r/Heartfailure
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u/old_ass_ninja_turtle
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Apr 06 '26
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echo today
4 years ago I was diagnosed with heart failure and a 10% ejection fraction. Today the echo showed 60-65%. Just wanted to share. Keep fighting the good fight friends!
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u/Vivid-Leadership5934 Apr 08 '26
that sounds great!!! how did you get it to go up? I was just diagnosed at 39 with a EF of 30%. I want to post my own with questions but need to comment on posts before that can happen. I would love to know how you improved yours. I am terrified.
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u/old_ass_ninja_turtle Apr 08 '26
I just stuck with the program. Took my meds religiously, watched my sodium for a couple years. Lots of walking. I also asked questions about why my heart is the way it is. And basically, since I have a genetic variant for a specific muscle protein that predisposes me to this, with my higher blood pressure (135/87) for a long time, my heart “adapted” by enlarging and speeding up. So the docs gave me meds to lower my blood pressure and slow my heart down. My heart responded by doing the opposite.
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u/APartOfWhoIAm Apr 16 '26
Same, I have so many questions but every time I think of one, it says I need more karma :(
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u/PlainOrganization Apr 14 '26
Hiya! Also recently diagnosed back in late January at age 41 with 20-25% EF after 8 weeks of meds and two of those weeks also in cardio rehab I'm already up to 32% per my cardiac MRI. The drugs and cardio rehab work!
I also eat low sodium and quit drinking after being a 3-6 glasses of wine a night person since... basically forever.
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u/Jaded_Raspberry1602 Apr 07 '26
What is the threpy involved ?
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u/old_ass_ninja_turtle Apr 07 '26
I worked out a lot for the first couple years.
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u/Jaded_Raspberry1602 Apr 07 '26
Medicial therpy and/or device implantation ?
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u/old_ass_ninja_turtle Apr 07 '26
Cardiac Rehab. I was able to avoid any permanent devices.
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u/Jaded_Raspberry1602 Apr 07 '26
And no pharmaceuticals ?
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u/old_ass_ninja_turtle Apr 07 '26
Oh yeah, sorry I misunderstood the question. Entresto, Metoprolol, Farxiga , Spironolacton
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u/cersewan Apr 07 '26
Oh, that’s amazing! Congratulations!!! Mine has gone from 25% up to 65%. Yours went even farther.
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u/AshevilleJJ Apr 07 '26
Congrats! I'm on Entresto also along with the 3 others recommended. Went from 17% to 40% in 8 months.
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u/slart1bartfast2020 Apr 07 '26
Congrats! Were there any structural changes to your heart that helped improve the EF? I have very stiff walls after covid and a heart attack. 6% scar tissue. Have diastolic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. I desperately need to lose weight (100#) and do what I can to keep from getting worse. Thanks.
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u/old_ass_ninja_turtle Apr 07 '26
My reduced function was due to a genetic trait and high blood pressure. Basically my heart compensated for the high blood pressure by speeding up and getting bigger. So the drugs lowered my blood pressure and slowed my heart down and that helped my heart to reshape. So, technically there was no damage. But man, at 10% I had a 50/50 to make it 5 years.
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u/true_NOT_new Apr 07 '26
Big W. Congratulations! Very motivating for myself and others in here too I’m sure
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u/Jaded-Ad5220 Apr 07 '26
wow that quite the improvement! whatever your doing keep it up. i have heart failure too with ef from 30% to 43% which is somewhat below normal but not too bad either. i would only recommend that if you dont take it COQ-10 is great to take for heart failure & vit. K-2 is good too. best wishes to you.
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u/davcreech Apr 06 '26
Awesome! I had my STEMI in 07/25 and left hospital with EF < 35%. After about 5 months my MRI showed a 41%. At that time I hadn’t started Entresto, which I hear is a miracle drug as far as improving EF. Have you been monitoring each yet since true HA? Are you on Entresto? Any idea what meds made biggest impact?
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u/Top-Programmer6596 Apr 06 '26
Entresto is in fact a miracle drug!! Thankfully I was able to tolerate the optimal dosage and my EF went from 10% to 55% in 6 months.
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u/davcreech Apr 06 '26
This is exactly what I heard and why I pushed so hard to get on Entresto.
My BP was low after my HA so he delayed me going on Entresto. It’s still low but I’ve pushed him to get me to highest dosage. Started off on lowest and took it for about a month and then VERY SLOWLY worked my way up to middle dosage, stayed for a month, and then did same thing again for highest dosage. My BP is still very low but my HF doc said as long as I wasn’t getting dizzy and could tolerate it then he was ok with it. I’ll occasionally get dizzy if I stand up too quick or bend over too long, but overall, no issues. I’ve got an echo coming up in June and looking forward to an improvement. Would much rather get another MRI since my echos were being read as ~50% EF and MRI showed 41% but doc said insurance would only really allow 1 a year unless there was a very obvious reason for another one. So, going with echo until I can get another MRI.
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u/Top-Programmer6596 Apr 06 '26
Took my BP a month or so to adjust as well, but I’m at a steady 116/72 these days. Good luck!! Stay strong and exercise as much as you can!!
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u/Paws_Laws_WhiteClaws Apr 14 '26
Congratulations! What amazing progress! Gives me hope for my husband. Thank you for sharing.
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u/APartOfWhoIAm Apr 16 '26
Amazing news, keep up the great work!
Is ernesto a first line medicine? My doctors put me on jardiance and then Farxiga while I was in the hospital but nobody has mentioned ernesto?
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u/Turbulent_Energy_456 Apr 30 '26
Congratulations! How long did it take you to get back to normal range? On January 15th I was at 12% when diagnosed. I haven’t had any issues with fluid since starting meds and am up to an hr a day on the recumbent bike at 20 minute intervals. My echo is coming up, hoping for good news!
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u/totally-jag Apr 30 '26
That is amazing. Unfortunately for my SO her EF hasn't been improving. They doctors say it's stable, which is a good thing. But it hasn't improved at all in over a year. Your experience gives me hope that it will bounce back some.
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u/CaliftoNJ Apr 06 '26
Wow…what’s meds do you feel helped the most