When you talk about heart rate on here . Do you mean the red pulsing heart ? On Apple Watch .

[Jackiesmith7777]

I’m starting to ignore the ecg as it’s getting me and hubby confused so concentrating on the red heart on the Apple Watch . As I think the ecg counts the flutters from the top part of the heart thst gets confused with the electrical signals . The heart function nurse said that digoxin can mask the problem by jut controlling the flutter at the top of the heart and bisoprolol heals the lower heart if it is a fast rate . Hopefully with the right treatment he will get back into sinus rhythm in the future .

[mjames1]

I find that the rate from Apple's pulsating "heart" is pretty close to the computed HR from their ekg. If not, I would go with the ekg.

If you're not sure, send the ekg to your doctor and ask them to tabulate the HR and then compare it to what the Watch says.

You can also sometimes manually compute your HR from your wrist or neck pulse, if it's not too fast, irregular or faint.

Jim

[BenHall1]

I don't own one. I only take notice of my Kardia or my BP Monitor, both approvec by NICE.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to BenHall1]

Yes our BP moniter is used at our doctors and it usually in the 80s or 90s on there

[Buzby62]

Hi again, in my opinion it’s the other way around in your husband’s case, as his AF heart rate reading on the Heart Rate app (red pulsing heart) and all the background heart rate readings using the optical sensor are not accurate, maybe you should be ignoring them and only take notice of the ECG app using the electrical sensors and finger which will be more accurate.

As I said it’s just my opinion from my experience and understanding how the Apple Watch works. I would have a chat with the medics if you can and discuss it with them.

Best wishes

[Ppiman]

I believe that the Apple heart app uses a "visual" means to count the rate of the ventricle beats, i.e. the pulse. As it is visual, it can be affected by the seating of the watch on the wrist caused by such things as wrist shape, watch position, strap looseness, sweatiness and so on. The ECG app is much more sophisticated and measures changes in minute electrical signals arising in the heart, although it, too, can be affected by sweatiness, which brings on a crazy looking trace.

For the ECG app to report AF, two things are needed. One is that the normal electrical signal from the atrial pulse (the "P" wave) must be absent; the other is that the heart rhythm must be irregular. The heart rate (i.e. the pulse rate) isn't relevant as AF doesn't always cause a fast rate.

Steve

[OldJane]

agree with Steve. I don’t think heart rate is a good guide to AF, I can have a very fast heart rate but no AF. My heart rate varies wildly. My Apple Watch is new to me - I wanted to catch any AF when “on the go” although I have my trusty Kardia using the Kardia is more of a faff, and more obvious. My arrhythmia nurse recognises both.

[momist]

The pulse monitor on any watch works by watching for the change of colour (color) in the skin associated with a pulse of higher blood pressure enlarging the fine blood capillaries. If you are in AF at the time, not all beats of the heart will generate this pulse, as some of the heartbeats happen at the wrong time when there is insufficient blood in the heart chambers. The EKG will pick up the electrical activity of these out of time beats, so it tells you what your heart is actually doing rather than the resulting pulses of pressure.

I would also question the language being used by your medical people. Bisoprolol (and other 'xxxx_lol' medications) reduce the overall heart rate, they don't actually 'heal' anything. There's a similar function with rhythm control drugs, changing the likelihood of arrhythmia doesn't 'heal' anything.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to momist]

Yes thanks I think she meant as his heart function is 33% she probably meant slower heart rate will rest it and hopefully bring heart function up a bit .

[Buffafly]

Hi, it seems ‘pulse rate’ and ‘heart rate’ are two different things. Pulse rate is the number of beats you (or your watch) can detect at the wrist. Heart rate is the number of electrical signals from the atria reaching the ventricles through the AV node. As others have said the heart rate doesn’t always translate into pulse rate.

You have posted several times on this subject and it’s obviously worrying you very much. Maybe it’s better to go by how your husband feels in himself? I have noticed that the rate either way doesn’t necessarily translate into the same symptoms - I can feel ok with a rate of 120 and like death warmed at 90 which is considered a normal rate. If you have to report the rate to the nurse just choose one type of reading and stick to it though with a watch I think the ecg version is more likely to be accurate.

I hope that helps ❤️‍🩹

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Buffafly]

Yes it has been worrying me but I’m not looking at it today . If hubby seems fine I’m not going to worry . We have an appointment on 22nd with heart function nurse so we’ll see then as he always has san ecg first . Thanks for replying