Stroke volume plays a big role in how much blood the heart pumps out.

We can figure out cardiac output, which is the amount of blood the heart sends out, using this formula:

Cardiac Output = Stroke Volume × Heart Rate

But sometimes, there are problems that can affect stroke volume.

These problems can include:

• Weak heart muscle (poor contractility)
• Issues with heart valves (valve dysfunction)
• Not enough or too much fluid in the body (fluid imbalance)

To help with these problems, doctors can use different treatments.

For example, they might give medications to make the heart contract better or work on balancing the body’s fluids.

However, these treatments don’t always work as planned.