C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL; DR
- The FDA has cleared fitbeat heart rhythm detection to monitor atrial fibrillation (AFIB) problems.
- The tool will work in the background and eliminate the need for manual testing.
- Fitbit will not disclose which devices will receive the feature or when it will arrive.
High-performance Fitbit devices include electrocardiogram (ECG) equipment. This allows you to manually run an ECG and check your heart rhythm. If you do enough manual testing, you can identify irregularities that can help save your life.
However, the need to run manual tests is not very helpful. That’s why it’s good news that the FDA has cleared passive Fitbit Heart Rhythm monitoring. This will allow Fitbit products to run heart rhythm tests in the background and give you a head start on issues related to atrial fibrillation (AFIB). People with AFib problems have a higher risk of stroke.
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According to Fitbit, feature tests have shown a 98% success rate in identifying AFib problems. Obviously, a Fitbit device would not be a replacement for a doctor’s appointment and official medical examination, but a Fitbit would be able to act as a precautionary measure, which is certainly no better than anything.
If this feature seems familiar, some Apple Watch models already support it. It comes with Fitbit Heart Monitoring, which is compatible with Apple’s industry-defined products.
Unfortunately, Fitbit has not revealed which of its products will see this feature. It was not immediately clear when the meeting would take place. However, if we were to speculate, we would say that it would probably fit into Fitbit’s current flagship products, Sense and Charge 5. These are the two devices in the company’s roster with ECG support