Ejection Fraction Calculator

With this ejection fraction calculator (ejection fraction, aka EF), you will easily perform the EF calculation and see if the result is normal. You can use it with an echocardiography to check for heart failure.

Why do you even need the LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)? You need to know what ejection fraction is to assess whether your heart is working correctly, e.g., after a cardiac arrest or in some structural changes, especially when there are problems with the valves.

Read on to get to know the ejection fraction formula, how to calculate the EF in echo, and what the ejection fraction normal range is.

We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace a professional doctor’s assessment. All information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for medical consultation. Always consult your results with a healthcare provider.

The normal range for ejection fraction is between 50% and 70%.

Ejection fraction, by definition, is how big a part of the total volume of blood in the left ventricle is pumped out during each contraction. It’s expressed as a percentage; e.g., if the ejection fraction is 55%, it means that much of the total volume from the left ventricle is pumped out of the heart in one heartbeat.

As we mentioned above, LVEF is between 50% and 70% in a healthy heart.

Below is what happens when the EF is different:

• Between 41% and 49% — damage to heart tissue, probably from a previous heart attack or some minor disorders.
• 40% and less — serious heart issue, possibly heart failure or cardiomyopathy.
• 75% and more — hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a genetic condition where the heart muscle walls become abnormally thick, reducing the heart’s ability to fill and pump enough total blood volume).

Note that your LVEF may be within the normal ranges, yet you have a heart issue. In medical terms:

• HFpEF is heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or sometimes a diastolic heart failure.
• The other term is HFmrEF, which is moderately reduced LVEF when it stays in the range of 41%-49%.
• The last one, HFrEF, stands for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or systolic heart failure. It is diagnosed when the EF drops to 40% and below. The cause is an impairment of the heart contractions. Due to less effective pumping (e.g., if part of the heart tissue is not working after a heart attack), less blood is pumped out of the body, reducing the oxygen delivered to the tissues.

Let’s say we obtained a reduced value from the ejection fraction equation. Why is it reduced in the first place?

It happens when heart muscle tissue becomes less flexible and more difficult to contract. In the case of HFpEF, the reason is thicker walls, which enlarge to the inside of the chambers. As a result, the total volume of blood that can fit inside the heart is smaller. Although the percentage (EF) of blood pumped with each contraction is correct, the absolute volume pumped is insufficient to fulfill the body’s needs.

Clinicians use a different parameter to assess cardiac function — cardiac index, which focuses on the volume of blood pumped per unit body surface area. Read more about it in the cardiac index calculator.

The doctor may refer you for more tests before defining if you have a correct EF.

The most common test is an echo — echocardiography, an ultrasound of your chest, which lets the doctor see your atria, ventricles, and valves as your heart pumps. Moreover, Doppler ultrasound makes blood flow (its direction) visible. With that, the doctor can gather the data needed to determine what your EF is.

For EF calculation, we have one ejection fraction formula:

LVEF = SV / EDV

where:

• LVEF — Left ventricular ejection fraction;
• SV — Stroke volume;
• EDV — End-diastolic volume.

You can calculate SV in two ways:

SV = EDV - ESV

or

SV = CO / HR

where:

• ESV — The end-systolic volume;
• CO — Cardiac output (normal: 4-8 L/min); and
• HR — Heart rate (normal: 60-100 bpm).

You can use the cardiac output calculator and heart rate calculator to determine these two values.

With this ejection fraction calculator, the estimation is simple; just follow these steps:

1. Decide which data you know. Check the ejection fraction equation in the previous section for more information:
   • Stroke volume (SV);
   • End-systolic volume (ESV) and end-diastolic volume (EDV); or
   • Cardiac output and heart rate (CO and HR).
2. Fill in the data, depending on which inputs you chose at the beginning.
3. The result is one number, LVEF. Our tool knows how to calculate ejection fraction in no time, giving an additional interpretation:

So, if you will even wonder again how to measure ejection fraction, return to the above LVEF formulae or use our ejection fraction calculator.