What tends to happen to the heart's ejection fraction in systolic heart failure?

In systolic heart failure, the heart's ejection fraction tends to decrease. Ejection fraction is a measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction. In systolic heart failure, the left ventricle becomes weak and unable to contract effectively, leading to a reduced volume of blood being ejected with each heartbeat. This condition often arises due to various factors such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, or previous myocardial infarction, which damage the heart muscle.

Due to inadequate contraction strength, the heart cannot maintain a normal ejection fraction, which is typically around 55% to 70% in healthy individuals. As a result, patients with systolic heart failure often exhibit reduced ejection fractions, which signifies a worsening ability to pump blood and can contribute to the symptoms of heart failure, such as fatigue and fluid retention.