Calf rEF: Calf Muscle Dysfunction With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Dr. Robert McBane, a Professor of Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, shares details from his article appearing in the June 2024 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, where he describes the calf pump, an important component of cardiovascular physiology that enhances right atrial preload and cardiac output through augmented venous return from the lower extremity to the heart, and how its dysfunction relates to mortality. He coins a new phrase Calf rEF similar to HFrEF, for the results found by venous plethysmography, a test that measures venous outflow, venous obstruction, and passive drainage and refilling. Dr. McBane found after adjusting for co-morbidities, mortality rates were higher among patients with lower calf pump function. Available at: mayocl.in/3wcdvWA