In what class of heart failure is a patient with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35% classified?

A patient with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35% is classified as Stage C heart failure. Stage C heart failure is defined by the presence of current or prior symptoms of heart failure in conjunction with either reduced or preserved ejection fraction. In this case, an LVEF of 35% indicates reduced ejection fraction, which is characteristic of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Stage C encompasses patients who have structural heart disease and exhibit symptoms such as fatigue, dyspnea, or fluid retention, which can be linked to their diminished ejection fraction. It is important to differentiate Stage C from Stage A and B, where patients either have risk factors for heart failure without current structural heart disease or have structural heart disease without symptoms, respectively. Stage D refers to advanced heart failure that often requires specialized interventions or advanced therapies, which is not applicable here given the current clinical scenario of the patient with an LVEF of 35%.