Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) life expectancy?

I have had left branch bundle block for at least 25 years. One doctor said I may had been born with it which I doubt but who knows. January of 2019 I had a devastating stock and was paralyzed on my right side which means the stroke was on the left side of my brain. My neurologist said it was from a blood clot but none of the test could find where it came from. Last December, 2024, I had a wild fall while I was preparing the cats food. I could see myself falling and was telling myself this was going to hurt and couldn't stop it. My heart doctor wired up up again for about the 5th time, to monitor my heart for two week. 2 days after I turned the monitor in I got a series of panic calls from the doctors nurse and the doctor himself. My heart was actually stopping for up to 20 seconds at a time. One week later I had a pacemaker. If there is a lesson to be learned don't be complacent about your tests. I went 2 years between mine. I had fallen 5 times in those two years and broke my foot one time my arm was dislocated and broken in two places the last time which led to the heart doctor and the pacemaker and probably saved my life.

Hello @jdona67788, and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate you sharing your experience with the left bundle branch block (LBBB). I am sorry to hear of your stroke and the falls. Have you recovered well from the stroke?

How are you feeling now with the pacemaker in place? Have you had any more falls?

My story is so similar to yours. I have left bundle branch block. It was a concern when I became very weak EF was 26%. I was put on Entresto and carvedilol, and an exercise routine. I feel better.
My heart MRI shows normal heart function no blockage. I have familial heart disease. High blood pressure, high, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.. a CRT is in the future for me. I am wondering at what point did you decide to go forward with the CRT ? Do I wait for conditions to worsen or do I schedule this procedure ASAP? my doctor is excited to move forward with this procedure, but also says I am fine as is right now.

I can’t really comment on the life expectancy question, but I can share my own experience. I was first diagnosed with AFib at 59. I didn’t know what it was at the time—just went to the ER with shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. That day I learned I had AFib, a left bundle branch block, and an ejection fraction of only 25%. I spent five days in the hospital getting started on Tikosyn, along with Metoprolol, Atorvastatin, Xarelto, Spironolactone, and Diovan. Up until then, I hadn’t been on any medications at all. Fast forward 8 years and one ablation later, my ejection fraction has improved to 60%. I was able to stop Tikosyn after 90 days, though I still take other meds. Along the way, I also got my sleep apnea treated, cut alcohol down to no more than one drink a week, lost weight, and brought my blood pressure into the 110/70 range most days. As an aside, my father—who also has left bundle branch block—just celebrated his 96th birthday. He had a pacemaker installed at age 94.

My husband has LBBB. He has had 4 unexplained episodes of losing consciousness. The last time was January while he was hospitalized. Each time he does not regain consciousness for hours. Seizures have been ruled out. He is currently wearing a heart monitor but hasn’t had any episodes. Did you lose consciousness? Other than an EEG which neurological tests did you have? I’m glad you found the cause. Hoping we get an answer soon.

@jrccle
An EF of 60%. Fantastic!

BP of 110/70 fantastic.

Your post shows what MCC is all about. You posted your personal experience and provide inspirations to others.

I was diagnosed with LBBB 25 years ago with heart failure. Here I am 25 years later and I exercise 7 days a week 1-2 hours. I also do Sprint Triathlons.

I think being on right medications like you did and I was given goes a long way to treating heart conditions.

I was told the following by a cardiologist after the death of my sister-in-law at age 60 from sudden cardiac death from undiagnosed LBB :
LBB is life threatening when there are blockages present. It is far less serious when a patient has otherwise healthy heart function.

Hello myflood

First off, my apologies for taking so long to reply to your post. Our house over this long weekend has been filled with visitors and while it is great to have all this company, it is also exhausting. Even our dog is visited-out. She is lying on the sofa, eyes firmly shut and snoring. The last visitor just left this morning and now I can check messages.
It would appear that the combination of medications and exercise have stabilized your EF rate. I, too, was put on Entresto and carvedilol. But, unfortunately for me, they did not prevent my EF rate from dropping more. I am still taking them but now they work much more efficiently because of the CRT-D. Entresto, alone, is an amazing drug. My BP is routinely at 104/70.
I really did not have a choice about the timing of getting a CRT. My EF rate had dropped from 32% to less than 19% in 2.5 months. I was so exhausted, I could not walk 200 feet. I was dizzy most of the time and could not catch my breath. I laid down most of the time, had very little appetite along with profound sense of hopelessness. And, interestingly, considering I was so tired, I also developed insomnia which only made matters worse.
While after the implant my EF rate did start to improve rather quickly, my physical deficiencies – shortness of breath, stamina, overall physical strength, etc. took a while to improve. Indeed, although I have had the CRT since September of 2022, it is only this past summer that I feel I have regained much of what I had loss and am back to my pre-diagnosis levels. But it did require effort and I do some serious exercising each and every day. So, if I were to give any advice on this matter, it would be to say, based on my experience, not to let your condition deteriorate too much before you make the decision. Your physician can guide you on this.
As I have said before on this Forum, I do not think anyone wants one of these devices. I know I didn't. But, quite honestly, I am ever so grateful to live in a time where they are available.
Take care of yourself.

Hello @jdona67788

It has been several months since you posted about having a pacemaker. How are you doing?

My LBBB was discovered at age 59, 20 years ago. I was not on any meds at the time with a good H&W. 14 years later, I have my first recognized AFib event and 6 mos later an ablation. Three years later, I was diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome which resulted in a pacemaker. My HR would drop into the 40s when I sat down and did not respond properly to increased physical activity. My thoughts are to pay attention to future electrical issues.