AF devices

[RJH56]

Hey everyone,

My heart is permanently in Atrial Fibrillation.

Does anyone have experience of products which claim to be able to tell you whenever your heart is in it?

Thanks,

[loobylou55]

I developed paroxysmal AF in July 2020 and found using my partners apple watch confirmed when I was having episodes and then I took my 'pill in pocket'. Bought my own in October 2020 and I absolutely find it invaluable. I am now on daily medication instead of PIP as incidents have got more frequent and have learned over time with the new analysis in AppleHealth that I have more episodes on Sunday mornings than most other times which I've realised may be linked to being less hydrated and busier on Saturdays. Currently experimenting with spreading my busy-ness over the weekend and remembering to make time to hydrate on Saturdays by setting reminders! Good luck

[jeanjeannie50]

The Apple watch and Kardia device are the two most popular items used. There is a forum on Health Unlocked just for people who have AF, lots of members there use these items. Find it here:

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

Jean

[Chinkoflight in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Kardia came recommended by my GP as a means of monitoring prior to further investigations. However, I am not aware of AF occuring (if it does) so the Kardia is hit and miss. For me it has shown sinus rhythm, bradycardia and ectopic beats. Occasionally it cannot determine an event, and this is associated with when it picks up several ectopics. My smart watch (OSWear) shows very occasional short lived peaks, 200+, but cannot offer diagnostic advice in the UK. Again, I see these post hoc (I don't have the alarm set).Have you had a diagnosis of AF, via ECG etc? If not, then you probably should have a health check with your GP.

I have had a couple of ECG's Holters, and recently a 7day Holter ECG but always inconclusive. I think there can be quite a likelihood of poor data from them.

Some Health Area's , certainly Birmingham/W Midlands have been trialling a small implantable LINQ ECG which uses AI with a claimed very high reliability to spot an episode. This links up with your smartphone and sends an alert out to the Cardio team with the data.

The trial has been conclusive, finding occasional but very significant AF in patients with no explanation for a previous health event. My circumstance is an unexplained severe stroke.

Now my local area is following this lead and I am now on the list for an implant. The device can work for 3-5 years on the one battery. It's around 5x1x1 cms and sits just under the clavicle bone , upper chest.

Hope this helps.

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi RJH, I've had AF for about 18 years now, have had 3 ablations and lots of cardioversions. I'm in constant low rate AF now and can cope with that well. Nothing more to be done for me now unless I travel for a Wolf mini maize in Houston, Texas or Japan. Changing my diet to a more plant based one has really helped. Jean

[Pilgrim2]

Hi RJH,After being diagnosed with heart problems a year ago I researched home devices and bought a Kardiamobile (Bluetooth not audio). This has picked up my recent increase in Afib as well as ectopic beats when they happen. It was useful to me as it happened infrequently and so wasn't caught on the many ECGs I had at doctors and hospitals. But when I felt the strange twinges and offbeats I could do a quick check and usually it caught it. It saves a trace that you can print or email to your consultant as well. Worth checking out the AF forum link from jeanjennie above.

Best wishes.

[Wanderinglady]

I have permanent Afib. For years I had been telling drs that my heart was going out of rhythm and for years I was told it wasn’t. In September I bought a Fitbit, not to monitor my heart but to try to increase my daily steps. Surprise, surprise, as soon as I put it on it started alarming Afib. After several days of this I printed off the heart traces and went to the dr. I was given an ECG which confirmed it. I was put on meds straight away and refereed urgently to the hospital Afib clinic. Afib was also confirmed there and I was sent for an angiogram + pressure test because the nurse thought there was something else going on. She was right, I also have extensive microvascular disease. I really believe that without the Fitbit data I would still be dismissed without appropriate investigation.

[Fullofheart]

Kardia device is very reliable and inexpensive and your cardiologist will accept readings from it. Not sure on others.

[richard_jw]

I have a Kardia mobile. You use it when you feel as if you have an afib attack. For instance I was on an aircraft recently and used it. It showed AFIB. The only thing I would say is that the device has showed Afib several times before, and it was ectopic beats. not the real thing according to the cardiologist. That's another issue. It's great to be able to send the output to a cardiologist, but getting them to look at it is not so easy.

So I looked at a youtube video done by a cardiologist, and worked out how to interpret the ecg. Not ideal, but in this case (on the plane), there was no doubt in my mind about the presence of Afib. I took the output to a GP and he managed to get cardiology to look at it. The result was my meds have changed.

I don't know if a watch would be useful here. I have a fitbit. It has never shown afib. The other issue is whether a doctor would take notice of a watch. I believe that NICE have approved the kardia. I have the kardia mobile attached to the case of my smartphone, so its handy.

I suspect the real answer is an implantable loop recorder which sits under your skin on the chest. It monitors continually, but you can press a button if you are getting an attack and presumably it does more and sends the output for analysis. The cardiologist half heartedly suggested one, but as soon as he realised that I could manage a kardia, he was more interested in that device. I guess it was money and his time.

[Goosebumps]

I am prompted to ask , if you are in permanent AF why would you want to constantly check if you are in it, the answer will always be yes. (Assuming you do mean permanent/persistent rather than paroxysmal, definitions are on the AFA forum on this website)

Regarding devices, the simplest , cheapest devise is a pulse oximeter. About £15. It gives a heart rate, but that has to be read with some caution because AF HR can vary every minute, but it also has a beat bar showing the strength and rhythm of heartbeats. It’s clearly obvious if you are in AF by its irregularity and length of bar. On the plus side it also gives your blood oxygen levels, which was a real help when I had covid.

The only other device I know of that hasn’t been mentioned in replies above is the Wellue AI ECG monitor. It’s a wearable ECG(up to 24hrs at a time) that gives a full report on the hearts activity, not just AF but lots of details of ventricular and atrial activity and Tachycardia, Bradycardia etc.

I must add that the Wellue device isn’t accepted by the medical profession as an approved heart monitoring device like the Kardia is in the UK.

[P0rtnahapp1e]

If you are in permenant AF then you don’t need a Kardia. I’ve had one for a few years, but it obviously tells me that I’m in AF whenever I use it, so I don’t find it of any benefit for my situation whatsoever.

[Jesus4ever in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

Absolutely true

[Brian1974]

Hi RJH56

I suffer from CHF and get monitored and various scans etc.The most recent one

that one of my cardiologist's have gave me was a Kardia monitor which is one of the

most precise and user friendly devices that monitors various heart scans and AF is one of them .

It is a small device which you sit next to you're mobile phone,press the app button and simply place two fingers from each hand for 30 seconds and it gives a very accurate AF reading!

I hope this helps .

[Hidden]

I have an ILR fitted by my hospital and its monitored 24/7.