Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) life expectancy?

Here is an article from the NIH about LBBB - it sounds like your life expectancy is similar to other people of your same age:

What is the life expectancy of someone with LBBB?
Patients with isolated LBBB and no associated structural heart disease, ventricular dysfunction, or CAD have 10-year mortality that is comparable to that of similar-aged individuals. In addition, these patients have a low rate of cardiomyopathy and heart failure hospitalizations.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8114733/#:~

I can only share my experience of LBBB with you. Life expectancy is a bit above my pay grade.
LBBB, on its own, seems to have little negative impact on life expectancy. I was diagnosed with it about 30 years ago. It was mentioned to me at that time that a pacemaker was in my future . That is because LBBB is an electrical problem and a pacemaker will correct it. Some 25 years later, that became the case.
Until that time, however, LBBB did not cause me any concerns. And, by the way, I am 70 now.
As for your diagnosis of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, I have Dilated Cardiomyopathy, with LBBB which has resulted in heart failure. Since I have never had a MI nor do I have any arterial issues, it is considered idiopathic, although possibly caused by a virus. And you mention your EF rate at 35%, which is below the 50 to 70 % range. Have you been diagnosed with heart failure as well?
In 2022, I was given a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) device, complete with a defibrillator. A biventricular pacemaker. Sounds scary but, honestly, it has saved my life. Amazing technology! My EF went from 19% at the time of surgery to over 50% just 6 months later. And it is still there. My quality of life is outstanding because of the device.
I am also on some medications which reduce the work load for my heart - a beta blocker and Entresto. But, by far and away, the main reason I have improved so much is because of the CRT.
Have your physicians indicated any course of treatment? Are they considering any kind of cardiac device? Although it is probably the last thing you want to think about, there are literally millions of people in North America with one of some description. Pacemakers are tried and true technology.
Try not to worry. There are answers for your condition. Relatively simple ones. You have a long, full life ahead of you.
Best wishes.

I'm very happy to see this comprehensive post by cottagecountry. Nice job! Also the previous one by healthseeker77.

I won't comment because this is not my area of study, except that I wouldn't sweat the below-average EF just now. If it's not valvular in origin, and just an electrical disorder that's causing the problem, that can usually be fixed electrically, even if having to implant a pacemaker. I wish I could offer something encouraging about the ideopathy cardiomyopathy, but that, too, is outside my grasp at present.
I wish you success, and more feedback and info!

@dizzyprizzy
I was diagnosed in the 1989 with a LBBB. No cause found as had catherization and belived a virus got into heart (based on my symptoms prior to routine stress test where they found it).

In 2000 I was diagnozed with heart failure. My EF was in the 30s. My EF went below 30 and got an ICD pacemaker in 2006. I am now 77 years old. I exercise every day and do Sprint Triathlons. I have no exercise restrictions other than not to overdue it and that is for anyone my age. Exercise if important to keep you heart muscle from getting any weaker.

My EF now has been at 20-25 since 2016. In addition to ICD/Pacemaker I am on Entresto and Coreg. I expect to live a very long life and have already done 2 sprint trialthons this year and have another one coming up on June 8th.

Heart failure is a terrrible term. It DOES NOT mean the heart has failed. It means your heart EF is not the normal amount. Many things can cause HF including the biggest cause high blood pressure. Don't get depressed talke to your doctor about exercise and hobbies that you like and your doctor says you can do and do them. Do things in life that bring you happines as your mental outlook is just as important and your physical.
Good luck

I agree, the term is rather unfortunate, almost grossly misleading. Cardiac insufficiency, with grades, is the way to go IMO. But, nobody will pay me for that, so.... 🙂

@gloaming
Yes! When they use the term and diagnosis of heart failure the patient experiences extreme stress most of the time. The term is terrible. I like Reduced Heart Function and call is RHF. This more accurately describes the condition. Heart failure means heart has failed and it has NOT.

Come on caridologist think about mental and psychiatric aspects of diagnosis.

Thanks to all regarding LBBB life expectancy. The NIH article was and was not helpful because it says people with my condition, male or female, have not been studied. I have heart failure due to complete LBBB (His-Purkinji) location. No heart disease or other morbidity concerns. EF 35%. I recognize that a CRT may be in my future should my EF go below 29% and insurance will then cover it. Cardio Rehab workouts raise my PVCs to frequent occasions with mild exercise and include clustered quadrilles and triplets depending on the day. These clustered PVCs are to be avoided.

dizzyprizzy,
When I was diagnosed with LBBB the cardiolgist told me it is common and pilots are allowed to fly with it. It is an electrical problem.

Heart failure is and should by your concern and keeping your EF from not doing lower. Have you tried magnesium (check with your doctor) to help with PVCs? It helped me but was told everyone reacts differently to it.

I have a LBBB. I'm 58 now and have been on meds (also Entresto and Coreg) for about 8 years due to low Ejection Fraction (EF). I've been at 25-30 Ejection Fraction for the past few years. My cardiologist has been pushing for a couple years now to get me into a pacemaker because of the EF. I understand that I need a pacemaker but am active and don't experience any symptoms while exercising, or really any time. I am worried about being limited in what I can do (my EP said basically no upper body weightlifting or anything that repetitively works the shoulder joint, like swimming, because it could loosen and break the wires). I don't want to not get a pacemaker and damage my heart further, but I'm nervous about the life change after getting a pacemaker. Your story gives me optimism.

@davidok (sorry this is so long but trying to help with my experience)
Did your EP or cardiologist giving you that information for short term restriction after your surgery. If so that is correct. Yes after surgery you have to limit your arms and activity until the wires seat. Things like tennis, fishing where you have drastic arm movements and jerking have to be curtailed even after wires have seated.

I was limited for 3 months of restricted movement. Then I was told I could start tennis but the PACE Clinic nurse advised me not to as the jerking was what she has seen over the decades of causing wire problems and she mentioned fishing and tennis. I then changed to doing Sprint Triathlons and swimming long distances to train. No problems and no indications on my pacemaker reports on any issues when swimming.

I don't swim like Mike Phelps it is slow and controlled. I don't reach out as far on left side (where pacemaker is) but really reach out on right side. Of course this causes me to sight more often to keep in a straight line. After you get a pacemaker you will learn which body movements start to affect the pacemaker and curtail them. I really restrict left are overhead when standing. Swimming is much easier and I do not feel the pull.

The pacemaker can help send electricity to your heart muscle and improve fuction. Most of the time when your EF is around 30 they recommend a ICD/Pacemaker. That is what I have since 2006.

My EP is the Director of Electrophysiolgy at Mayo Jacksonville. He is the one and his nurses who guided me in what I can and cannot do. I was told to exercise and exercise the heart to keep it strong and not lose anymore strength. You mentioned weight lifting. Are you doing the type that you snap or jerk your body? If so there is the caution on activity where you jerk your arms, etc. I lift weights but slowly and not above my head.

My EP, PCP, heart failure doctors love that I swim. Again nothing shows up on my scans done every 3 months. I also concentrate on swimming rythmic (spell) and not jerking.

The wires put into your heart will either (type that are put in) have scar tissue formed over them or will encapsulate them. This is what you want to havppen before any jerking of arms or very strong movements. My AICD/Pacemaker is under my chest muscle as the amount of skin I had in area pacemaker needed to go was to thin.

You see I mentioned to methods of putting in wires. One is they are screwed into muscle. The body forms scar tissue around them and seats them. The other is the are placed in place without being screwed in and the body with encapsulate them holding them in place. Of course the screwed in ones are the ones that have a stronger placement and ability to stay in place with movements and activities.

You can always contact the major ICD and Pacemaker copanies along with EPs and cardiologists on the long term statistics of what you want to do and if statistically what has affected the wires. I have a Boston Scientific device, but many others out there that are just as good and help with questions about your product.

I know long but I hope this helps. Talk again with your cardiologists about was talking short term or long term. Also get second opinion from a Electrophysiologist. They specialize in electrical systems of heart and ICD/Pacemakers surgeries.