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Inquiry about AFib with my Charge 5

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‎11-11-2022 13:39 - last edited on ‎11-12-2022 02:28 by Fitbit Moderator

‎11-11-2022 13:39 - last edited on ‎11-12-2022 02:28 by Fitbit Moderator

I had a couple afib notifications mid-summer then they stopped.  Early October my resting pulse and regular readings started to elevate doubling by the end of October.  I saw my doctor today and EKG revealed an atrial flutter. Their equipment showed my pulse as 58 while Fitbit was registering 86.  I am following up with cardiology and am feeling great.

My question is what accounts for the difference between Fitbit rates and the doctor's equipment?  Is the Fitbit sensitive enough to count the flutters?  Any other similar experience? Ideas?  Thanks all.

 

 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

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‎11-11-2022 14:13

‎11-11-2022 14:13

No medical expert here, so don't rely too much on what I say, but:

There are, I think, 3 different heart rates: upper heart chamber, lower heart chamber, and pulse/blood flow.  When your heart is working right, they are all the same.  What fitbit measures at your wrist is the blood flow, and that is what you would measure manually by feeling your wrist with your finger.

But your heart has electrical signals.  These are what is measured by a chest strap heart rate monitor, which is used by some athletes and is generally more reliably accurate than the optical sensor picking up the changes in blood flow at you wrist.

But when your heart rhythm is off, the electrical signal can make several circuits around your heart's upper chamber before it gets to the lower chamber, throwing off the count between the 2 chambers.  I don't know which chamber's electrical signal is usually picked up by medical equipment.  But maybe you can see "heart rate" is not such a simple term when the heart rhythm gets off.

Again, all just a layman's interpretation of things I have read on the internet, so judge accordingly.

Before posting, re-read to see if it would make sense to someone else not looking at your Fitbit or phone.

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‎11-11-2022 15:37

In response to JohnnyRow

‎11-11-2022 15:37

Thanks Johnny and your input matches my understanding.  At the doctor's office measurements were with blood pressure cuff, finder sensor, manual wrist hold and count and finally the EKG.  Hence the wrist vs other location to account for the difference would not correlate.

Additional reading indicates FDA rules may restrict staff input.  I also found a post identifying wrist placement and have moved my placement to 2 fingers above the ulnar bulge.  See what happens?..

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