March 10, 2006

In Washington Post, Heidenreich discusses use of new predictor for heart health

CHP/PCOR fellow Paul A. Heidenreich provides comment for a March 7 Washington Post article on a recent recommendation by the American Society of Echocardiography that people who are at increased risk for heart disease should ask their physician to measure their ejection fraction -- the percentage of blood pumped out to the body by the left ventricle. Heidenreich said measuring EF is a cost-effective way of discovering some heart problems, but that giving invasive treatments such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators to patients with a low EF but no other symptoms, would be problematic and expensive. Read more »