Kardia portable ECG device

[Luckycharm_74]

What was recommended by my cardiologist was AiveCor's ECG device?clinicians.alivecor.com/our...

He recommended it over the apple watch ECG.

I haven't purchased yet, wondering if anyone else heard or used one of those units.

[BobD Volunteer]

Very popular on here Luckycharm. I was fortunate to be given an early model for trial when they first became available here in UK probably ten years or more ago and still have it though I haven't used it for years. Most smart EPs accept the results and you can e mail then direct shsould you have that arrangement.

My only comment is that some people (like mysefl) can become obsessive and spend far too long checking their hearts to the detrement of normal life. AF may be in your life but do not let it become all of your life.

[Oldiemoldy in reply to BobD]

So true

[ijregner]

I have the Kardia and appreciate it because it is accepted by my cardiologist. I agree with Bob that one can become obsessed with it. I use only when I suspect Afib mostly to check my heart rate.

[Physalis in reply to ijregner]

I have the Apple watch 4 and it has been an enormous help to me. Without it I wouldn't have had my ablation.

[Luckycharm_74 in reply to Physalis]

I agree. I have Apple Watch 4 as well and find the ECG app excellent. Maybe my cardiology and GP stuck on the Kardia app

[Hidden in reply to Luckycharm_74]

The Kardia can provide a detailed (six lead) ECG which the Apple Watch cannot. This information is potentially more valuable to a cardiologist than the information the Apple Watch can provide. But ideally get both.

[Frances123]

Like Bob I was given one as part of a trial (still have it collecting dust somewhere) but didn’t need to use it that often afterwards. I upgraded years later and as my Afib progressed, also years later it was a good source to collect information when in Afib and send to EP prior to ablation. Agreed that people can be obsessed but luckily I don’t and have only ever use it if heart plays silly wotsits to check for Afib etc which isn’t that often thankfully. What I like about it is ease of use and readings are recognised by cardiologists and EPs generally. X

[fairgo45]

Kardia every time and a fitbit versa 3 watch tells you all you need to know about your heart function .But definitely Kardia if nothing else

[Rubymurray25]

I love my Kardia and certainly has proved invaluable in giving the A & E info when needed. I love Apple and have, Ipod ( x3 ) I pad, Iphone but never thought a square watch would suit me ( 😀) so will stick with the Kardia and such good value for under £100 ( currently on offer at £89 in places )

[Ppiman]

I have the Apple Watch and from others that have had both, I have read that the Kardia is much less convenient and so gets used much less. It will depend upon you, I should think. I would be very reluctant to be without my watch but more for the many other functions it performs so well - even taking and sending ,messages and calls. It's a very fine piece of technology (as it should be for the price!).

Steve

[WHJ3rd]

I used the Kardia for about a year until the Apple Watch got the ECG function. As with others I find the Apple Watch more convenient. I seem to get fewer undetermined events with the Apple Watch as time goes on. Haven’t used the Kardia for a few years so I can’t tell if it has changed but it was close to a tie for undetermined signals when I used both. In both cases I could feel that I wasn’t in Sinus or AFIB when I get the undetermined reading.

[R_E_D]

I love the Kardia as it gives me piece of mind.My cardiologist accepts the reading by email.

I have used it twice I 6 months a d think it's well worth the money.

[Griffin9]

I had various monitors fitted over a 2 year period and I couldn't catch an episode of AFib until I bought a Kardia. As soon as I recorded my symptoms, I emailed the pdf to my cardiologist who said it was just what he needed to complete the picture.

If you have an Apple watch, use that, but I wouldn't switch to Apple and pay out all that money just to record an ECG. I keep my Kardia in my bedside drawer and it takes no more than a minute to start recording a 6 wire ecg.

[Hidden]

They are great - and trusted by my EP : cardiologist. I only use it when I suspect something, and lucky me, that is rarely

[Barbara72]

I have had the Kardia for a few years, but don’t find it particularly beneficial for my usage as I have permanent AF so it gives the same reading every time. “Possible AF” I rarely use it and only did so recently to check the batteries which needed changed after five years!

I also have a blood pressure machine which I rarely try because when I feel that it has dropped to a dangerous level my machine won’t read it. The doctor tells me that it’s because my BP is off the scale at those times, so medical accoutrements are not for me !

[Lucymoo]

I’ve purchased one cheaper than Apple Watch currently on sale about £89. Good little device but I’ve found not all cardiologists acknowledge it

[Physalis in reply to Lucymoo]

And you can get a second hand Apple watch series 4 with the ECG for about £60-80 now so even cheaper. Alright I know you need an iPhone 6 to go with it!!

[walle99]

I found it really useful. Instead of going into hospital and getting an implant, kardia can just be recorded when AF occurs and then sent directly to specialist. The depth of analysis can be limited about Q waves? but it confirms AF or flutter and saves time and money

[Elephantlydia]

Having Researched Kardia or Apple for E.C.G’s ,I have purchased a Kardia as part of my partner’s birthday present.Reasons,both Kardia and Apple watches,approved by F.D.A. for E.C.G’s.Kardia is the most evidence based,but Apple evidence is very good.However,cost can come into the equation,and the Kardia one lead is a available now for £89 and is the least expensive.The Kardia 6 lead is nearly twice the price and can be said to give better E.C.G readings I.e. more lead reading,but I am not sure if it is really necessary.The Apple Watches 4 and 6 are excellent but are very expensive.So maybe if money was no concern Apple 6 would come out best all round,and Kardia 6 lead second.However,as I have already said,I have purchased a Kardia 1 lead as an excellent choice for value for money evidence based F.D.A.approved device.

[beach_bum]

Each Physician is different. Mine said either was fine, as the both alerted and recorded afib/sine, saved as a pdf, and could be sent directly to him and others. I already had an Apple watch at the time, and since it does that, records all of your health stats, and monitors 24/7/365 , has fall detection/emergency alert, sleep tracking, Medsafe app to monitor and reminder to take meds, alarms, timers, flashlight...the list goes on and on. Anyway I am pretty active, hiking, cycling, walking swimming, so it is always "on duty" and ya..it tells time.And it was on sale, so it was about $150 CDN more than the kardia.

Having said all that, it's pointless to get an Apple watch unless you also have an iPhone. Android now has a similar Watch...Galaxy 4? So it works with most other non-apple phones.

[ramblerbaz3]

Hi...... I bought the Kardia while still having a week long Holter meter fitted. All tests picked nothing up as I had no episodes at any of those times.

When I did get some episodes, I used the Kardia & it showed possible AF, this was confirmed by my GP after emailing him the results.

Have now seen cardiologist & have Paroxysmal AF & am being treated.

These are a great bit of kit & well worth the money.

Wishing you all the best.

[momist]

Two things about the Kardia. If you already have a smart phone, is it Android or Apple? There are two types of Kardia, the older two lead version (that I have) and the newer 6 lead one. The older one uses high frequency sound to communicate to the phone, and some high-end phones don't like that and filter it out. Mine worked fine with my three previous phones, but not with the latest one. Luckily, it still works with my Android tablet, so that's fine with me. The later one works using Bluetooth, and should work with any modern iOS or Android device. You can use it for just a two lead recording if you wish.

They are very good and reliable. I wouldn't be without mine.

I briefly also used a Withings MoveECG watch, which I loved, but the crystal got badly scratched (cheap materials) and the battery life was quite poor, and then the crystal broke during a battery change (cheap materials). I believe that Samsung Watch3 might be an alternative, but I've no experience of it and it costs a lot more than the Kardia.

[Glb1948]

I’m using the Kardia and sending my results to my cardiologist once a month. It’s somewhat reassuring to have that on hand when you are having heart Rhythm and rate problems.

[Hidden]

I have both. It’s likely your cardiologist is just more familiar with the Kardia and if you buy the 6L it can take a six lead reading which will give more information. That said, the Apple Watch is very accurate and in my opinion is a better, but more expensive, choice for folks who use an iPhone.

[beach_bum in reply to Hidden]

I concur, and In addition to my last comment, although pricier, the Apple watch...since it's on your wrist constantly, it is always monitoring for afib. And contrary to rumors, yes you can wear it all day and night...put it on the charger while you are having breakfast or in the shower, and et voila, it's charged up. So yes, it will also monitor sleep patterns, but monitor, record and alert afib events.

[tunybgur]

I use a Heal Force PC 80B.It gives an excellent sinus trace where you can easily see whether the P wave is absent or not (the best indicator of AF) just by pressing against your chest for 30s.

My cardiologist was very impressed with the trace and made a note of the name!

I paid £80 for mine on Ebay but that was a few years ago, probably more expensive now.

[Rocky-athlete]

My EP said the six-lead is more useful to him, but either has value. During COVID, we've been meeting virtually. I send him a summary of a bunch of info., including at least one Kardia six-lead A-Fib tracing and a normal sinus rhythm tracing from within 24 hours before the appointment. He looks at all of this carefully and comments.

I wish they would share the raw history data. I transcribe all of the data (rate and rhythm) to a spreadsheet. So, now I have a graph of three years of data. A change in meds shifted me from an 10% arrhythmia burden to 0.2%. Though Kardia would not be necessary to demonstrate this, it makes it more quantitative. He said, "This shows how dramatic the shift is."