Does anyone have any advice for wearable heart rate monitors? Do you guys use them at all? I’ve been looking at the new Apple Watch with built in ecg. Not sure how reliable it will be but I would like something to be constantly measuring my heart rate so I can get a better understanding of how my heart behaves under certain conditions.
Any advice welcome 👍
Many people can become obsessive about such things to the detriment of getting on with your life so be careful.
Thanks for feedback Bob. Totally get what your saying, however I don’t really have an obsessive/addictive personality to be honest. I can pretty much take things as and when I want them. I merely wanted this to be a record of my heart rate under certain circumstances over longer periods of time.
I get where your coming from though and can totally understand how it could become obsessive in the wrong hands. Another thing to bear in mind is currently I don’t have a life so not got much to lose 😂
Thought some of you guys on here may be using particular devices already and may have some good feedback
24/7 monitoring is pretty rare unless you have medcial grade devices which are very expensive.
What do you mean by it’s pretty rare mate? Rarely administered by medical professionals or rarely used by patients?
My Apple watch monitors my heart rate 24/7, every four or five minutes. I think it's about 300 times a day. No need to keep looking at it, just scroll down at the end of the day to see what my heart has been up to. Gives minimum and maximum hr daily.
I'm not obsessive either so my watch has been invaluable to me.
This is mainly what I had in mind to be honest. Checking once a day to see what’s been going on and especially checking if my heart doesn’t feel quite right or I’m clearly in af. I want to see what happens with my heart rate in the build up to an episode. I think the watch will be invaluable for that.
Thanks for input physalis
Dear Physalis, do you know if the watch must be linked to an Apple phone, or will it work with an Android phone ?
The Apple watch must be paired with and iPhone. My watch is series 4 and needed an iPhone 6. The latest series 6 needs at least an iphone 7.
The Samsung Galaxy watch works with Android. "The app on the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 can monitor heart rhythms and spot irregularities and signs of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a type of irregular heartbeat"
And it now checks bp.
pocket-lint.com/smartwatche...
A mate of mine has the Samsung watch and he swears by it. He doesn’t have any Health problems though so he has it purely for tech geek reasons 😂 like I say he loves it though 👍
We buy these watches for various reasons. Most young people buy them for the fitness stuff, somewhat wasted on me, I think it's a good day if I do 2000 steps a day. I bought it for the fall detect feature.
It would have helped a friend of mine. He was 82, very overweight and he had a fall at home. He couldn't get up and had to lie there for 30 hours before the friend who he was supposed to have had lunch with the day before raised the alarm. He was in hospital for some weeks during which his daughter and son-in-law cleared his house. It didn't help that he was a hoarder. Now he is happy and has moved to Scotland and has lost a lot of weight.
Maybe, in the long run, it was just as well he didn't have an Apple watch!
Thanks, Physalis. I enjoyed your messages and will aim for an Android device. I hardly use my mobile phone as I'm on the notebook all day, so an expensive mobile phone would be a waste of money.I can easily sense the arrhythmia in my chest and when I take my pulse, and it would be good to know if I'm in AF. Thanks, again for all you info.
Oh my goodness I just want to express my sympathy for you. I do understand where you are coming from and I hope you can find a heart monitor to suit. Hope you a much better sometime soon.
Thanks Surrey. Appreciate it. I’ve gone with the new Apple Watch now so fingers crossed 🤞
Wonderful. 👌👍
So true. Since finding out I have atrial flutter 2 weeks ago the constant pulse checking is awful. Trying not too but of course I feel ever flutter, ectopic or missed beat the first thing I do is check my pulse.
interesting comment. I use an Oura ring to passively collect sleep heart rate that helped identify Afib. I review once a day. I have kardia, but it requires me to remember to see if in AFIB. it clearly shows Flutter. I am considering apple watch but what to make sure it collects useful data. I use what ever data is available to appreciate my situation and review with dr. I have used 24 hour monitor, but I don't see the results till removed.
also, oura ring does not detect AfIB, just hear rate while sleeping.
Agree with Bob, it’s one thing having a Kardia which you can use quickly when you sense your ticker is misbehaving but having a device looking at you 24/7 can cause anxiety levels to rise. One of the best pieces of advice I was given here was when another volunteer suggested I locked our Omron blood pressure monitor in the shed at the end of the garden and gave the key to my wife!
Purely a personal view of course, I guess a lot depends on lifestyle and exercise regimes.......
Hello again flapjack.
As I said to Bob I can’t see myself getting addicted to it as such it would just be an additional tool to give me and EP some extra feedback. I’d be especially interested with measurements of my heart during sleep and exertion. Thought it would give me a much better understanding of how my heart performs and what situations seem to put it under stress and or put me in AF. I know straight away that I’m in af but it may give me some feedback in what was going on with my heart in the lead up to an attack.
To me a Kardia would have been a pain to use compared with my watch. You have to get it out, press two fingers on it and it's much more of a palaver. I know lots of the people on here swear by it but it doesn't do much else does it. It's £100 just for that one feature. No steps, oxygen level, fall detect, sleep patterns, calories burned, stairs climbed, stopwatch, news (600,000 vaccinated today) and so on. My clockwork kitchen timer broke and so I use my watch every day now and it's so much better.
It's not looking at you 24/7, it's just recording without you being aware of it.
.....and my missus and I were 2 of the 600,000 😉👍
Oh, that's wonderful!
agree Kardia can be a pain to collect data. I also struggle with it's conclusion, especially when it says 'nomal', and my cardiologist looked at the pattern and said AFIB. I question the validity of of Kardia's conclusion.
I find it the opposit. I can keep an eye on what my hearts doing and if its 'kicking off' I can monitor it to see if its severe enough to need medical attention - if its not I can try to relax through it. Each to their own I guess.
Totally agree with Bob and FJ here, I became obsessed taking my BP and wearing a galaxy watch watching pulse etc, it makes you anxious at times and there's a danger you just continually check and then worry about it all the time, best just get something you can check if in afib or really concerned or just to make a monthly check. The shed is the best place as FJ said 😂
Hi Ian.
Thanks for feedback.
I’m getting the impression you guys are not too keen on the wearable technology side of things 😂 I understand your apprehension believe me. However having grown up in the age of computer tech I do feel like this is the way things are going. In 20 years time I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a person in the western world who doesn’t have some form of wearable device on them 24/7 measuring health stats and giving constant feedback on possible health issues.
I don’t feel like I need constant feedback however I do think it would be invaluable knowledge to check in a few times a week and see how your heart/health has been performing. Especially like I said before, during sleep and exertion. Personally I tend to embrace technology in this regard and like I say I think it’s definitely the way things will go.
Imagine the money saved if illnesses can be detected prior to becoming more serious conditions purely through wearing a tech device around your wrist/torso. A lot of time would be conserved for the people that actually need it as well. More time with a doctor is an absolute must in my opinion as I think they just need to get you out as quickly as possible due to the amount of patients they have to get through daily.
I do understand where you guys are coming from though and totally understand how this, along with many other things in life could become addictive. Unfortunately as with everything else in life you can’t account for every individual and there will always be people out there who find certain things detrimental rather than helpful.
I’m first in line for any tech implants if it helps prolong my life. 😆
I totally agree with you,there are limitations,but this is probably the future.Your question was an excellent one and everyone is entitled to their opinion,but I sure this is the future,of course readings need to be accurate.Patient empowerment will save lives.
Thanks Lydia. I’m pretty sure it’s the way it’s going. No one can ever predict the future ( pandemic case in point) but it does look like tech is taking over.
Thanks for comment
Just so you guys know I do appreciate the feedback. Not disregarding any advice and never will. All valuable info. I welcome all advice be it positive or negative. As long as people are respectful I’ll always listen 👍
I'll add my ten pence worth too. I've had AF/Tachycardia for 16 years now. The other day I was in bed and thought how lovely and calm my heart was. I wondered what rate it was beating at that felt so normal, got out of bed to get my BP monitor off a dressing table and by the time I was back in bed my heart was hammering. With me my mind is so powerful!
However I do understand your need to check what your heart is doing, I just couldn't help myself doing so for about 12 years. Since I've stopped though I give my heart very little thought these days and lead a fairly normal and active life.
Did I listen when people said don't keep checking - no, it irritated me. I thought their AF couldn't be as bad as mine if they didn't need to check.
My daughter has had a Fitbit and now has the latest Apple watch (to measure how many steps she does daily, how well she sleeps etc). I've text her to ask which one she prefers, but no answer as yet. She probably thinks I'm going to get one of them and will tell me off when she comes over later. If I say it's for someone on the forum I'll get told off for being on here too, she thinks it focuses my mind too much on my heart - it doesn't though.
Jean
I did once have a strap on monitor too, I drove everyone mad talking about it. I'm embarrassed now when I think what I was like! Lol 😂
😳😳😳😳
I'm the same Jean, I can feel absolutely fine, check my BP, then make myself ill if its high yet am feeling relaxed, then it goes low, my mind is very good at provoking stress for me . I suffer white coat syndrome at docs too, nightmare. I use my samsung watch for steps and pulse, but again if it's high then can make me anxious which then pushes higher, sometimes your better off not knowing and just getting on with life... Ian
Daughter prefers her Apple watch. She was showing me what it can do this afternoon and did an ECG which showed me in AF (I didn't really want to know that as my pulse was 62 this morning and I was thinking all was well). If she goes out and forgets to take her mobile phone she can use her watch for calls. I said do you use that feature and she said yes when she's somewhere in the hospital where she works and away from her mobile phone. The uses just go on and on, blew my mind!
Thanks for info Jean. I’ve been researching last few days and I’ve decided to go for the Apple Watch. Seems to be the most accurate heart rate monitor on the market for wearing on your wrist. This plus all other features you mention twisted my arm. Feel like I wanted something to give me that little bit extra info so went for it in the end.
Thanks again for input
I don’t even have a BP monitor, because I would get paranoid about it. I get up to high doh going to the GP to have it checked, so I know how I would be. I find if I don’t think about it, I don’t worry about it. Maybe I’m completely wrong...it wouldn’t be the first time.
Yes my family don't like me being on here either but it helps me as we are out on a limb with no cardiologists seeing us at the moment.
I’m just happy when I wake up in the morning! I’m also too old to get excited by new gizmo’s but if I was a few years younger, I might be different (it’s also good exercise for me to get up to change the channel on the telly 😉). I don’t have any personal knowledge of anything other than the Kardia which I know has been a godsend when it comes to appointments with my EP. If it’s important to you to be able to produce reports regarding AF episodes etc., it might be worth checking that your Doctor will accept them from whatever device you buy.......
I have an Apple Watch which I love! It’s the first model which came out with an ecg facility. I can be in AF with a heart rate of 75, so it’s a handy check. Also use the heart rate monitor every now and then if I feel I’ve missed a beat or my watch is telling me my hr is 40!
Thanks hylda. Good feedback 👍 hopefully mine will be as helpful
I have a Fitbit sense which works well when I ha e problems I can download ecgs from it which I email to my cardiologist too so he can adjust meds etc if needed and it is more than half the cost of an apple. Personally I wouldn’t be without it and I’m not obsessive about using it, just find it very useful for paf probs.
Thanks jayann. This is what I envisage using mine for also. Great feedback 👍
Thanks everyone else for input 👍 much appreciated
Hi Elli86,I have a Fitbit which also records heart rate. It doesn’t tell me if I have tachy or AF, but I can see my average heart rate for the day. It also shows me what it’s been over the week or the month. You can actually go back years and I can see when it’s been unstable. I have a pace maker and it’s recently been tweaked to 60bpm instead of 70bpm and it definitely shows me that it decreased to around 60 over the week.
The Apple Watch does have ecg and can show if you’re in af, but do you want to be that concerned with it? I usually know when I get it and it hasn’t lasted too long so far. Coughing usually helps to calm it down.
But good luck with whatever you decide.
Hi Elli86I have an Apple Watch which I love. I only found out I had AF last April because my watch detected it and let me know to get it checked out medically. I wouldn’t be without it - use it to see how my heart rate is performing generally from a fitness point of view and do an occasional ECG to check if I’m still in sinus rhythm. Hope you find a device you like too.
Wow! Well there you go. That’s the future right there. Informing people they have it before it’s too late. Personally for me I couldn’t miss it as it put me in A and E at first attempt. Couldn’t breath, on verge of passing out. But I’ve read many people don’t know they have it until it’s already too late and their AF is already persistent.
Great news that it warned you and got you treated.
Thanks for info 👍
I too have an Apple Watch which I love - it does many more things than record pulse & ecg. Go for it you will be fine
Definitely agree with BobD. I obsessed with a blood pressure monitor and flight or fright took over and so on. Your better not knowing. If you feel unwell by all means take your reading and go from there. My doctors advice was leave it alone and restrict it to once a month.
Hi Elli86 I use a Fitbit Versa and the FibriCheck app. The Versa continuously monitors your heart rate and the FibriCheck app then tells you when you are in AF etc. I find that the app helps me understand what is happening when I get an AF episode.It is very easy to become obsessed with things but I prefer to know more about it than not.
I had svt so I bought a fitbit but I found that devices that shine a light onto your skin don't pick up the high hr from svt. The fitbit agreed with the iphone app (both using light) but only my chest strap hrm picked up the svt. It would show 160 (which it felt like), but the fitbit showed about 80 so I'd be wary. For a normal beating heart sending out proper regular pulses of blood they read ok but with electrical issues in the heart I don't think they do.
I had exactly the same problem with my wife's cut but versus my Garmin. Also my BP pressure monitor. Most importantly in hospital a finger monitor also only picked up half the HR of the Garmin, which was proved accurate when I requested an ECG
I think the finger monitor also uses light pulses so it should show the same as a Fitbit but not necessarily the same as a chest strap hrm. I've compared my Garmin Chest Strap monitor against an ECG and they were both the same.
I had a Fitbit a few years ago and sent it back as the light sensing technology was incredibly unreliable. Completely agree. It’s the number one reason I haven’t got another wrist worn device since. But having done a lot of research on the new Apple Watch 6, read tons of reviews and watched plenty on YouTube, where they’ve compared the new Apple Watch too chest straps side by side it seems like the new technology tweak in the watch has got it right up too speed. I haven’t managed to find any yet that have said anything other than the Watch is pretty much as good as a chest strap now. Doesn’t mean that’s true but I’ll soon find out as I’ll be testing the hell out of it for 3/4 days and if it’s no good I’ll send it back. I have a wahoo chest strap and it’s bang on in terms of bpm so I’ve got something to compare it too and also I’ll be testing it by the tried and tested technique of counting so I’ll let you guys know my thoughts if anyone’s interested.
Yep I have compared with ECG too. In fact it's how I was diagnosed afib, being otherwise asymptomatic! I love my Garmin 305!Just out of interest my Garmin is so old it does not work with Windows 10. (Won't communicate) I still have my old windows 7 PC but 7 is not supported by Microsoft anymore and the PC is over 11 years old so sooner or later I lose my data
What model of Garmin do you use and does it work with Windows 10?
Any of those watches that just use a pair of flashing lights on the wrist work by sensing the change in colour of the skin when your heart beat causes the capillaries to swell slightly under the pressure. The problem is that they need to filter out random changes, so they look for a regular rhythm between 60 and 120 bpm, which excludes various arrhythmias. Also, when in AF, not all your heart beats cause sufficient increase in pressure, because the heart wasn't pumping efficiently.
I think these gizmos are really good. When you're not feeling well and go to the doc's, instead of trying to explain your symptoms you can just show your watch's record.
Often with heart rhythm problems they are intermittent and everything may be fine in the surgery, but as soon as you leave..... well, we've all been there.
Good luck
I have a fitbit and a Kardia ECG machine. I am in permanent a fib. I find the fitbit does not give a true reading nor does my phone which us the latest model. The Kardia machine however seems to do so. I was advised to use it rather than my phone or fitbit. Xx
Again, the fitbit and your phone use light but the Kardia detects electrical pulses in your skin (I think) like a chest strap.
I don't think that's quite right. I think the Kardia works in exactly the same way as the watch.
I haven’t got a Kardia but I don’t think it works using light.
Well, I don't really know. They both seem to produce very similar ECGs
I would hope they do. It is just that ones that rely on light don't always pick up irregular heart beats in the same way as ones that doesn't use light. The light type ones couldn't detect my svt for instance.
Oh, yes they can!! 9to5mac.com/2019/02/12/appl...
Maybe some can. I think Apple ones are more advanced than Fitbit. All I can say is that I bought a Fitbit and it couldn’t detect my svt so I was disappointed as that was the reason for buying it. I don’t want to get into a long argument. I am just saying what I found.
No Kardia doesnt work by using light I think its sound/electrical stimuli. Ive had the Kardia 1 lead and now the 6 lead. They appear accurate and give a good enough readout for specialist nurses to read and take action on.
I think that the Kardia six lead version is best for complicated conditions. Mine was uncomplicated and the watch recorded what I needed. This may be of interest
Wow! Thanks for all info guys. Positive or negative it’s all great feedback. Interestingly it seems to be a split between men and women ,with the exception of a few (myself included) with men concerned of addiction and women not so much. Very interesting 🤔 I love my psychology so disecting that data will be enjoyable 😂 takes the mind off other things as well I guess. As I said before addiction doesn’t really concern me, I just want as much data as I can get and don’t feel like I’ll become obsessed as it doesn’t seem to be a part of my personality. Again though do appreciate the info from both sides. Very interesting. I’ve gone for the apple watch and picking it up today so I’ll let anyone who’s interested know how helpful/unhelpful it is once I’ve had a chance to test it properly.
Thanks again people. I don’t do forums usually. Don’t do Facebook, Twitter , Instagram etc. Much for the same reasons the men were concerned about here. Not that I would become addicted but I’ve seen far too many family and friends become obsessed by it. Saying that this forum has been brilliant so far. Helped me no end and I’ve only been involved for 3/4 days. Doesn’t seem to be any trolls on here and everyone gives their opinion respectfully and even if you don’t agree with it , it gives you a different perspective to consider.
Very much appreciated guys. Glad I found the forum 👍
Could you please let the forum know how you get on with the new Apple Watch.It was interesting to see the thoughts for and against.I am a great believer in prevention and the Apple Watch may help.
I will do. Picking it up today so once I’ve had a good few days to test it I’ll provide an update 👍
I have both the Kardia and apple 8 watch...in terms of instant readings, the Apple Watch is more convenient and you don’t have to run and get/make finger contact like you do with the Kardia...However, the watch only gives heart rate and checks for Afib...pvcs and other abnormalities are not picked up...and if your watch band isn’t on just right, it won’t measure accurately! Apple needsTo improve their technology or TELL people who expect it to pick up a lot more than just Afib, that it doesn’t do that!! I like my watch for other things and it does assess heart bpm , but it doesn’t measure other common issues...
I picked mine up an hour ago and am in the process of setting it up as we speak. It’s the Apple Watch 6. Not sure what one you’ve got but during set up it does make it very clear that the watch can only detect atrial fibrillation and not other heart problems. Also says it’s not definitive evidence and you should visit doctor if you get a positive result. To be honest knowing when I’m in AF is not the reason I bought it as I know as soon as I go into AF unfortunately. Maybe it’ll pick up other times when it’s not as bad I’m not sure. I bought it more as a constant heart rate monitor and so I can see what happens in build up to an attack. Think it could be used as a tool to see what my triggers are as well if used correctly.
I tried using a kotetech rate watch. Which advertised how great it was for ecg and Afib tracking. It worked sometimes and not others. The Apple Watch is not very accurate either. Dr Mandrola has a blog on Afib and he and other doctors had a discussion a while ago. They ignore results of patients Apple watches because they have shown to be too inaccurate. I guess it depends on what you use it for. The new pacemakers have an automatic continual ecg between check up. That works great but doesn’t give you the option of checking the ecg... That has to be done in the doctors office
Having had a quick look at his website, I think what he was talking about was the problem with people getting an Apple watch and then thinking they had AFib when they didn't. That would be true of the Kardia too but young people don't buy Kardias unless they know they've got a heart problem.
There was a lot of talk about the watch alerting people to fast heart rates or AFib and filling up surgeries when there was nothing wrong with them. I don't know if this actually happened.
Even if it did, I think the watches which can do ECGs have probably diagnosed very many people with AFib who didn't know they had it. They are put on anticoagulants and many strokes have been prevented.
I have had a finger oximeter since my heart attack 4 years ago and that shows pattern and heart rate as well as o2 sats. But when I had my second fast AF a month ago I purchased an EMAY EMG-20 handheld ECG monitor. At £100 I realised of course that this is not medical-grade, but it does a 30s sweep and you can then print or store the result. I sent a pdf file to my GP and he seems to think it is a good enough indication of whether you have gone back into AF (I haven't yet). I was worried about compatibility and found that I have to use an app on my Samsung Android tablet to get the results, but I can download text files to my Windows laptop. I don't have any Apple devices nor any kind of smartphone. It might be a worthwhile investment, but I've only used it a couple of times, once after my first glass of beer just to see what effect that might have, (chocolate seems to be my enemy, and coffee of course). I use my finger monitor all the time, it seems more reliable and easier to use.
JK
My Apple Watch woks well for monitoring my heart rate, steps, and ecg. Hope you find something that works well for you!
I had a Reveal LINQ Cardiac Monitor (Medtronic) implanted several years ago following a stroke. At the time the cause was unknown. My cardiologist was eventually able to diagnose Atrial Flutter with readings from the monitor. The battery has now expired, the device did what was needed but there's no easy way to recharge or replace it. It was expensive to install and will be expensive to remove should I chose to do so (it's unobtrusive so I probably won't bother). I have had a few instances of tachycardia in the last couple of years so now have a Kardia 6L. It's not something I use daily or even weekly; I have it so I can send a pdf to my cardiologist if/when I have another episode. I was impressed with the ease of use and quality of the EKGs. The device works with my Android 9 despite not being on the approved list.
I have a fitness band called Xiaomi Mi Band 5. Besides measuring activity and steps, it will measure heart rate at intervals all day if you want it too. You can even set it to alert you if your heart rate goes above a certain bpm. It has an app that is available for Apple as well as Android phones. I use mine mostly for fitness tracking and sleep monitoring. It is less than $40 USD. I really like it and highly recommend it.
I am a little late to the party here but I thought it was worth voicing my opinion. My original purpose of purchasing an Apple Watch was to simply track my steps but without it I can honestly say I don’t think I would be here. My watch without question saved my life. It constantly monitors my heart rate, I pay no attention unless an alert goes off. It tells me if I am in Afib, which has not happened since my ablation fortunately. I am not aware of all this monitoring I just get on with things. I do an ECG ad hoc which I send through to my EP. I down load my ‘highlights’ on BPM. It really is my best friend. I would not be without it.
heart rate & af monitoring apps
Heart Rate Monitors
Heart Rate Monitors
Heart Rate Monitor Watch 
