Medical devices to monitor heart rhythm (i.e., Alivecor, KardiaMobile)

Posted by rog @rog, Dec 20, 2019

I'm interested in purchasing the $149 KardiaMobile only to detect possible A-Fib occurrences. I have had a pacemaker since 2015. Kardia Mobile states it is not appropriate if one has a pacemaker. Have no idea what the problem is. All I want is a device that will alert me to A-Fib situations. Any suggestions? Thank you. Roger H

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windyshores | @windyshores | 3 days ago

I use the Kardia and otherwise use the patch monitor prescribed by my doctor. It is helpful to read about watches for a period like now, which is following an afib episode and often involves palpitations while my heart recovers.

ninski | @ninski | 3 days ago

In reply to @johnbishop "@ninski, the Apple iWatch Series 9 starts at $399 if it's not on sale somewhere." + (show)

Thank you! I’ll have to start saving up!

gloaming | @gloaming | 5 days ago

You can get cheaper, but effective, devices that do the same thing. A Kardia mobile is much less than a Galaxy or an Apple, or a Garmin, smart watch. The better Fitbit devices also record heart rates and rhythms AFAIK, without checking on the www to verify. You can also get old new-in-box watches that, once you get them and register them, you update the firmware and they'll then have the capabilities of the more up-to-date watches. For exampl, Galaxy is about to launch their Galaxy 7 series, but my Galaxy 4 was updated about 20 months ago and could then read and produce an ECG. You might be able to find older products for about half their original prices, which have only gone up over time.

John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | 5 days ago

In reply to @ninski "Can you tell me the price of the Apple iWatch series 9, please? Sounds like what..." + (show)

@ninski, the Apple iWatch Series 9 starts at $399 if it's not on sale somewhere.

ninski | @ninski | 6 days ago

Can you tell me the price of the Apple iWatch series 9, please? Sounds like what I would want but I’m on a fixed income!

marilyn222 | @marilyn222 | Apr 24 9:41pm

In reply to @SusanEllen66 "my Apple watch practically saved my life! The Heart Rate monitor was able to show me..." + (show)

Mine too. I wasn’t going to get it but then I decided I should after I walked out of the Apple Store. No idea why because it’s not even what I went in there for. A week later, it started telling me that I was in AFib. Back then, I wasn’t. A Cardiologist that I just left forced me into having Cardiac Catheterization surgery in December. Oh, and I wore a Holter monitor that said that my watch was picking up on an irregular heartbeat from my thyroid meds. Well, I was supposed to have hip replacement surgery in December but it got postponed because I forced into the cardiac catheterization surgery. It damaged my R ventricle so now I do have AFib and I am going to have surgery on shock my heart back into normal sinus rhythm. If my PCC hadn’t stepped in, I would still be just sitting here waiting. I have a new Cardiologist as of this week and surgery is scheduled. After that, I have been approved for Watchman surgery. They all have small risks but the medications are making me sick. If I could have just been cleared for my hip surgery in December, I would not be sitting here, typing this and wondering if I am ever going to get my new hip. Original Cardiologist cleared me for hip surgery. I was all ready to go into the OR and my heart went into AFib and it was beating too rapidly for surgery. Hopefully, new Cardiologist is much better. So far, no good. 🙏 Then again, who knows, maybe I shouldn’t have even bothered buying the Apple Watch. Nothing seemed to be wrong with me before! But I did have a full Cardiology workup and it appeared that I had blood clots in my heart. I had a new CT scan with the newest scanner in NY along with the contrast dye. Nothing was found. The Pulmonologist thought that it may have all been my pain from my hip…the one that needs to be replaced and I should be recovering now in time for Summer….If something doesn’t seem right with your physician, leave them.

SusanEllen66 | @SusanEllen66 | Apr 22 11:24pm

my Apple watch practically saved my life! The Heart Rate monitor was able to show me exactly why I was feeling awful.
I ran the A-fib test, and was able to bring the test results to my cardiologist. He was very grateful that I was able to capture the A-fib situation in real time.

My Apple watch also has a fall detector, and blood oxygen monitoring system.

opiestrer | @opiestrer | Apr 22 6:14am

Here are pics of one more example of my Apple Watch Series 9 used as a sleep monitor from last night's period. I had a SVT episode at 22:12:10 that was caught on the monitor record in memory.

Ps- I need the extra app (Smoky Cat Heart Graph) (no subscription, but small one-time fee to get alarm feature) to get the alarm and graphs. That's because Apple, just like Garmin and Polar and all the rest have their algorithm set to smooth out sudden peaks. For example, Garmin watches show the graphs with periods of 2 minutes. That's 120 beats that they average into 1 number. I want to see all 120 of them!

Pps-
And I also want to warn you that the Apple Health app is great, but at the bottom it gives a bunch of app suggestions to buy! I tried them all and cancelled them all as useless and intrusive.

harveywj | @harveywj | Apr 21 5:59pm

In reply to @windyshores "@isabelk I also use the Kardia. It shows fib and heart rate, as well as supraventricular..." + (show)

I also feel Afib the moment it happens. I am using the single lead KARDIA to document intermittent Afib so we can go in for the 2nd ablation. PACs and PVCs are easy to learn to find on the reading of even the low end priced device without paying $11/month to have them tell me something I can learn to read.

isabelk | @isabelk | Apr 21 4:18pm

In reply to @gloaming "I hope you won't mind some anecdotal information, Isabel. I have had two Galaxy watches, both..." + (show)

@gloaming

I hope you won't mind some anecdotal information, Isabel.

I have had two Galaxy watches, both of which are capable of reading both BP and HR, but also capable of rendering an ECG. In fact, my Galaxy 4 was almost five months old when the software update came for we Canadians and our watches were enabled to perform the ECGs. Before then, the Canadian government was reviewing the engineering and data before approving the release of the update to Canadian users of the Samsung watches. My latest, a Galaxy 6 (nothing wrong with the 4, but for some reason Samsung vacillates between a hand rotating bezel feature and not having one. I like the bezel, and the next new issue was the 6, so I snapped one up for 'future' enjoyment and wear), came with the software updated.
I had an ablation in July of '22. It failed. Three months later, while walking slowly with my toddler grandson, his chubby hand wrapped around my extended pinky, I went into AF. I activated the app on my Galaxy and let it do a reading, which it duly deemed AF. My electrophysiologist, bless his heart, actually wanted to see the readout, and asked for a download. I did it, via the phone app called 'Wear', and sent the pdf file to his office. He notified me that he accepted the result and would schedule me for another ablation, which was ultimately successful.

i can't speak to other watches, but have you investigated the Kardia? They've been around, are durable, reliable, and very good. They are not wearable...you use them like a smartphone, hand-held.

Now for my anecdote: when I was in the ER, after my first ablation failed, I kept glancing at my watch. It almost rolled it eyes and said, ''YESSS...you're still in AF...dammit!" And so did my wife who held out her hand and said, 'Gimme...!' I had to surrender My Precious. And it was the right thing to do. My point is, the watch can nanny you to death. AF begets AF....that's one of the field's aphorisms. You want it to subside and to go away. But glancing at a tell-tale every 30 seconds just keeps you on the treadmill of anxiety, too much information, and not much else to do about it. I don't know why you want a watch that can detect AF, but be warned that it might not be the best thing for you if you tend to have anxiety.

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