Is AFIB detection only available for people without a history of AFIB?

[nawood]

I have been waiting for the AFIB update for my Charge 4 (I am in the UK) but have seen a video on how to install the feature on a Charge 5 that indicates  that it will only be available to those without a history of AFIB.  Is this still the case and if so why? I have had treatment but feel that I do still get infrequent events.

[LZeeW]

Hello @nawood and welcome to the Community.  I'll start with a little clarification.  The Charge 5 has the hardware to record a 30 sec ECG.  This is available in the UK.  The Charge 4, 5 and several other Fitbits have a feature that uses the heart rate monitor (green LED) to look for signs of Afib.  The Irregular Rhythm Notifications are a medically regulated feature.  The feature needed FDA approval for release and it is only available in the US now.  It will be released in the UK when it gets the equivalent approval in the UK.  When this feature is released in the UK, it will be available on your Charge 4.

***** See update!  The last time I looked at the list it said US only -- and I look at it often.

My husband had Afib and had a heart procedure to correct it.  He is in a normal rhythm now.  When the feature was released here and he got to that question, I told him to answer no.

[LiamMac]

I'm in the UK, have a Charge 4, and my Fitbit app asked me if I wanted to 'sign up' to Afib monitoring/irregular rhythm notifications on either Wednesday or Thursday morning when I first fired the app up that day.... and I did enable it 🙂

My android app is running on a Samsung Galaxy S10, running Android version 12, and running either version 3.65 or 3.65.1 of the Fitbit app (it updated around Wednesday night/Thursday morning, I believe) and my Charge 4 is running firmware version 48.200001.100.43

[LiamMac · Accepted solution]

May be worth checking the 'Discovery' tab on the app to see if Irregular Rhythm Notifications is showing under 'Assessments & Reports'. If it's there, then you should be able to then enable it/them 🙂

[LZeeW]

@nawood   I just checked on Fitbit's page that lists approved countries.  The UK is now on the list!  Please tap on your Discovery tab, like @LiamMac suggested.  

[Dhandley88]

I wouldnt get too excited about this being installed on your fitbit I'm doubtful my charge 4 is capable of accurate heart monitoring. I've had 2 charge 4 the 2nd a replacement on warranty and both fail to reliably manage sleep patterns, The AF monitoring has alerted consistently every morning since its installation last week usually from around midnight until getting up. the fact that it doesn't seem reliable stops me from getting checked

To be honest the charge 4 is an absolute joke of a fitness band and cant record steps accurately if using 2 treking poles 

[LZeeW]

@Dhandley88   My husband's experience gave me a crash course in Afib.  It started with him being in Afib some of the time, but not all of the time.  He would get sleep stages when he was in a normal rhythm, but only sleep patterns when it Afib.  Why?  Afib is a very irregular rhythm.  Fitbits use your heart rate variability as part of its sleep algorithm.  Heart rate variability isn't really reliable in Afib.  My first heart rate Fitbit was a Charge HR -- my experience is that Fitbit heart rates are reliable at rest.  Other users with known Afib complain that they can't get sleep stages and I think that this is the reason.  I don't think you should ignore your notifications.

You can read about my experience with trekking poles  in this thread from 2019.

[Dhandley88]

Many thanks for taking the time to reply on the Treking poles I will have to complete testing.  Today my mileage was 1 mile out and my step count was something like 5,500 steps out compared to my walking companionable his step counterMany thanksDoug

[nawood]

Thanks yes it is available now in the Discovery section, but does say not available if you have hada prior diagnosis of AFIB so need to decide if results are likely to be valid.  One other respondent has indicated it might record too many AFIB events.

[Dhandley88]

Ive never been diagnosed with AFIB amd having installed the app it has alerted every morning that I have been in AFIB every night permanently between 9pm to 5am.Now this may indeed be correct however my charge 4 is incapable of recording accurate sleep scores therefore confidence in its Afib abilities is lowMany thanksDoug

[mikewalters1956]

Is it true that someone with afib cannot get sleep stages reports? I keep getting a “simplified” sleep report because the Fitbit can’t detect a steady heartbeat. Why can my iwatch give me stages even though I have afib. Not sure the Fitbit is worth it without that feature.