Which Smart watch or Fit bit ?

[Isobel1]

Can anyone advise me what is the best Smart Watch or Fitbit ? I had OHS for a faulty aortic valve an an aortic aneurysm 3 and a half years ago, and havn't had problems since then,

My cardiologist , after seeing me at my yearly post op follow up. on seeing my 72 hour ECG report said that there was no afib, occasionally supra ventricular ectopics, and some ventricular ectopics, but he didn't say how many.

He didn't advise me to wear a week long ECG monitor.

However, Having suffered a TIA which initiated the 72 hour ECG. when I saw the Doctor ( who was very offhand) at a follow up TIA clinic. She said I should be monitored for a week , in case of paroxysmal Afib . I contacted my cardiologist about this difference of opinion, but he hasn't got back to me.

Does anyone know if a Fitbits pick up ventricular & supraventricular ectopics or do they only register Afib ? My appointment for this monitor isn't until January, and I'm wondering if it's worth checking my heart beat in the meantime. Thanks in advance ❤️

[TheBoys]

hi

I m no way technical but my Apple Watch 6 ( refurbished from Amazon) has been a godsend. I might upgrade to a 10

But from my ecg function it simply says if sinus rhythm is achieved and that no trace of aFib detected

It s been a great tool as times when am brethlless yet the watch shows a decent pulse and sinus rythmn . Hopefully you get the answers you need

Paul

[Isobel1 in reply to TheBoys]

Thanks very much 🙂

[Mentdent]

I’ve got an Apple Watch. Ultra 2. A brilliant toy. It makes phones calls, Works as a swipe card with no apparent limit, heart monitor etc. Having said that the fitbits have a better battery life. They all do the heart bit but some do a bit more.

[Isobel1 in reply to Mentdent]

Thank you !

[T666]

had Apple 7 now have Apple 10 superb equipment and very accurate on a number of recordings

[Isobel1 in reply to T666]

Thank you 🙂

[Asteroids]

I have an Apple Watch 7. I compared it to the heartbeat from the ECG I was wearing when doing a stress test and it was bang on accurate. As another reply has said, it only advises on whether you’re in Sinus Rhythm or there’s an abnormality.

If you want something more sophisticated, take a look at Kardia. They have single and six line versions. My surgeon recommended it, since I had Atrial Flutter after a mitral valve repair. He carried one at all times and even caught a heart problem with one of his relations. I’m out of AFib as a result of an ablation and both the watch and Kardia device consistently show that. My stepmother had persistent AFib and the Kardia device went wild when she tried it.

If you subscribe, you’ll get quite an in depth analysis. However, you obviously must rely on your clinical experts to diagnose what’s going on.

[Isobel1 in reply to Asteroids]

Thank you 👍

[L8Again]

My wife has paroxysmal AFib which was picked up by her Apple Watch: however, her GP was not convinced and she booked an ECG which came back normal.

If you are worried then I suggest that you look at the KardiaAlive 6L device. This produces detailed ECG tracing which can be sent to your GP/cardiologist. That said, even though the device itself might detect AFib; ectopics etc it still needs a trained eye to interpret the results.

One further thing for you to consider. You can pay for a 7/14 holter monitor at a cost of £300 to £400. It is delivered to you; self fit and then collected. The results are back within 5 days with a full and detailed assessment.

[Bigscar in reply to L8Again]

Was the ecg at rest?Aged 30 started getting chest pain at high exertion my GP sent me for an ecg, came back normal.That was in 1977 heart disease problems were starting to emerge.My GP a Doctor Snyder wasn’t satisfied and insisted on one exercising which was all over the place. So in 1977 I had a triple bypass at St George’s Hyde Park Corner.(now an Hotel).Now 78 and The Guinness World Record Holder as The Longest Surviving Triple Heart Bypass Patient.While I thought I would never still be here at this point it’s only thanks to Doctor Snyder and brilliant surgeon MR Parker.Not forgetting the much different result from an ecg at rest and an exercising ecg.

[Isobel1 in reply to Bigscar]

No I wore it for 72 hours

[Lexi72]

hi Isobel if you are worried I would think about investing in a KardiaAlive 6L rather than a watch. I think they are about £100 and produce high quality ECGs you then need to consider if it is worth paying for the additional annual care plan when you get a number of ECGs reviewed a year. To confirm the resultsThey are very easy to use you can test my on your ankle or knee and you can then print off the ECGs or email them to yourself or your doctor. The only problem is that you may then get a bit obsessive about itThe advantage of the Kardia is that it may pick up occasional events which may be missed on a 24 hour holter. The next step would be a 7 day or 14 day holter as mentioned by L8again. These are quite hard to get on NHS but you can pay for them privately at a cost. However I have now given up using my Kardia as it was stressing me out and the cardiologist was not too worried in my case. have ectopics though so my condition is not the same as yours. Maybe try to talk to your doctor or cardiologist again? kind regards Lexi

[Isobel1 in reply to Lexi72]

Thanks for your advice.

[fishonabike]

I am not going to advise you on which device would suit you best, but if I were in your situation I would be considering whether any equipment we can buy is accurate enough to track ectopic and whether or not the expense is worth it.

If all you want to do is monitor your pulse fir irregularities you can do this with a watch which shows seconds (or a kitchen timer) and a finger or two on a pulse point: bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo.... The BHF also have info on some digital devices, you might find that helpful: bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[Isobel1 in reply to fishonabike]

Thank you!

[Rosie1066]

I ware an Apple Watch and, if you want to go down that route, then I would thoroughly recommend an Apple Watch.

[Isobel1 in reply to Rosie1066]

Thank you.

[Cliff_G]

Isobel, in your situation where the arrhythmias are rare, the tracking you need is something continuous for preferably 24 hours, and something based on electrical signals, not on blood flow. I think most of the devices mentioned here are not continuous monitoring, and/or they are based on blood flow which is unlikely (in my experience) to differentiate between ectopic beats and normal beats. The only one I know which does continuous monitoring based on ecg is the Wellue monitor, which if you search here you'll find lots of discussion and a review I did. The traces the Wellue gives are very good and sensitive and it does pick up ventricular and supraventricular ectopics. It uses AI to analyse the traces and is not always accurate about interpretation, but it will give you a pretty good idea if your rhythm is mostly normal. You can also print out relevant ECG pages to show a doctor. It's not particularly cheap, but was well worth the expense for me.

[Isobel1 in reply to Cliff_G]

Thanks, that's very helpful x

[Healthlover123]

Personall I wouldn’t use anything electrical to check my heart rate or arrhythmias.I feel so doing you would be worrying constantly about the results which are not always accurate.You don’t need this extra stress on your system just see your family Doctor or your Cardiologist when you have issues and they will check for any abnormalities .I have had a pacemaker for three years and it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done to help my atrial fibrillation.I get a check up every year and they tell me that there are short episodes of AFib that they notice ,but they have not affected my daily living.Hope this helps you decide

[Isobel1 in reply to Healthlover123]

Thank you, I'm not worried about my heart rate, it was a Doctor at the TIA clinic who put doubts in my mind , although my cardiologist hasn't recommended I need a week long ECG tracing.

[Whiteghost]

Hi my husband's cardiologist who he saw 11/12/24 highly recommended the one that Lexi72 has told you about. He said they are more accurate and reliable than the watches so are a better investment. Can't comment any further as we haven't bought one yet. All the best.🤗

[Isobel1]

Thank you