Scans and X-rays
What Does Ejection Fraction Mean?
Ejection fraction · say it: ee-JEK-shun FRAK-shunAlso written: EF, LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction
Short answer
Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood the heart's main pumping chamber pushes out with each beat. It is one measure of heart pumping.
What it means
Each time the heart beats, its main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) squeezes out some, but not all, of the blood inside it. The ejection fraction is the share that is pumped out, written as a percentage.
It is usually measured with an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), but it can also be measured with cardiac MRI, nuclear scans or other tests. Your report or doctor will explain how your number compares with the range they use.
Ejection fraction is only one part of how well the heart works. Doctors also look at the heart's size, walls, valves and how it relaxes.
Where you may see it
- Echocardiogram reports
- Cardiac MRI and nuclear heart scan reports
- Cardiology letters and discharge summaries
📄 How it looks on a report
LVEF estimated at 55% by Simpson's biplane method.
🙅 What it does not mean
- It is not meant to reach 100%. A healthy heart never empties completely with each beat.
- A normal ejection fraction does not rule out every heart problem. Some conditions affect the heart's relaxing, not its pumping.
- Small differences between tests are common. Different methods can give slightly different numbers.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Ejection fraction”
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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Ejection fraction”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Amlodipine
a calcium channel blocker, a type of medicine that relaxes blood vessels
- Carvedilol
A beta-blocker. The FDA lists it as both an alpha-adrenergic blocker and a beta-adrenergic blocker.
- Enalapril
An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
- Spironolactone
An aldosterone antagonist, a type of prescription medicine the FDA classifies this way
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Ejection fraction” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- RadiologyInfo.org ↗
Radiological Society of North America and American College of Radiology
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.