Add EKG to future watches

[Stew11b]

Now that Apple has proven the ability to add EKG to a main stream wearable it would be great if that were an option in future Fitbit watches. Those of us who love Android devices and keeping everything within the Fitbit app, would find great benefit to the addition of EKG sensors in future watches. 

[fhd4]

High hopes that Fitbit will surprise us that Charge 3 is ready with ECG functionality by touching the side haptic button ! 

[Connorlad]

EKG Please from a new Ionic Adidas Edition Fitbit fanatic

[Intrigued2b]

YES!! That would be fantastic!! EKG, phone finder, water tracker and the
comfort of Charge 3 would make the perfect combo for iconic (not to be
confused with Ionic) fitness watch!!

[ardianmusliu]

Most of us need this feature and I would love to see my Fitbit versa with the ability to take an EKG. Please take our suggestion and add this feature so we won't feel that have change the Fitbit with Apple watch.

[SunsetRunner]

I also agree to this suggestion!!! When I was shopping for a smart watch, the person selling the new apple watch was very pumped to tell me it had the ECG feature... Although I would love to have it, it wasn't worth an extra $300!!! 

[otterear]

A friend of mine was wearing the apple Watch with the ECG feature. A week ago, his watch told him he was in AT FIlb( Atrial Fibillation). Went to the hospital , sure enough he was in AT FIB. This could save lives....

[wajahathusain]

+1 

I really don't want to buy an Apple watch but if the features I want aren't available on a fitbit device, I might have to 😞 

[Headbolt]

I too would love to see this feature, with a bad family history of heart issues it's something I am seriously looking for in the next watch I get to replace my poor battered Blaze (entirely my fault)

I am heavily invested in Fitbit for the whole family and would hate to change.

Sadly a simple software update  won'tcut it, this feature would be on a future model sadly as nothing Fitbit currently have on the shelves contains the required sensors. Currently all they have are lights shone into the skin and light sensors that read what bounces back from veins to get a pulse. They are physically isolated from the skin by a plastic barrier to prevent sweat intrusion.

ECG/EKG requires electrical readings from direct skin contact, a standard medical ECG uses 12 sensors attached all across the body, portable ones have similar amounts concentrated in a small area.

Apple kept this well under wraps knowing that extra sensors were needed to copy the feature, they have 2 electrical contacts in the rear of the watch and 1 on the bezel you need to keep in firm contact with to take a reading, they take around 30 seconds and I don't think they can do continuous monitoring.

I am hoping Fitbit put the required sensors in the next hardware editions even if the software comes later.

[Jansen1]

Hi there i also I also want to see a EKG / ECG feature, i want to buy a new watch but im waiting... If i had a iPhone i would directly go to the store to buy one but i have a Samsung S9+ (android).
I read that the new Samsung smartwatch will have EKG / ECG function, Blood pressure reading, body Temperature reading and a SPO2 / Saturation reading in the watch, that will be so gool! Then you have alot of good data of your health! When a watch with this is on the market for android i will buy it directly! 

[MIM1949]

yesterday

Hi there i also I also want to see a EKG / ECG feature, i want to buy a new watch but im waiting... If i had a iPhone i would directly go to the store to buy one but i have a Samsung S9+ (android).
I read that the new Samsung smartwatch will have EKG / ECG function, Blood pressure reading, body Temperature reading and a SPO2 / Saturation reading in the watch, that will be so gool! Then you have alot of good data of your health! When a watch with this is on the market for android i will buy it directly! 

Where did you read that Samsung is going to have a Smartwatch with all the capability you described? If that is so, then Fitbit better get busy. I have had Fitbit since 2014, upgrading and spending more $$ as they produced more trackers with more capabilities. I, too, would buy Apple if I did not have an android phone. However if Samsung produces a Smartwatch withvthe features I want, I will readily give up Fitbit.

[MIM1949]

Hi there i also I also want to see a EKG / ECG feature, i want to buy a new watch but im waiting... If i had a iPhone i would directly go to the store to buy one but i have a Samsung S9+ (android).
I read that the new Samsung smartwatch will have EKG / ECG function, Blood pressure reading, body Temperature reading and a SPO2 / Saturation reading in the watch, that will be so gool! Then you have alot of good data of your health! When a watch with this is on the market for android i will buy it directly! 

Where did you read that Samsung is going to have a Smartwatch with all the capability you described? If that is so, then Fitbit better get busy. I have had Fitbit since 2014, upgrading and spending more $$ as they produced more trackers with more capabilities. I, too, would buy Apple if I did not have an android phone. However if Samsung produces a Smartwatch withvthe features I want, I will readily give up Fitbit.

[b278]

Absolutely agree, this is a next-level needed feature. EKG is needed soon. 

[jrsavoie]

Some companies have EKG capabilities

Anything extra in the heart rate sleep monitoring would be good.

Afib alert.

What I really need is some type of notification that my heart rate has exceeded parameters - both high and low. It would be good if it would call my phone or something, vibrate, buzz, whatever. If my heart rate got above, say 110 BPM or below 38 bpm. might save my life if it woke me up when my heart rate got to slow or fast - Especially when sleeping

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @jrsavoie! Great suggestion, thanks for sharing your feedback. I've moved it into a similar request.  A lot of users are asking for this option, I hope we receive updates soon. You can also check this other suggestion: Detect irregular heart beats.

[iVAN88]

ECG/EKG it will be really a good think. Otherwise I won't buy anymore your products.

[iforkish]

I agree

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Ira Forkish

[SpO2]

I would really like to be able to track extrasystoles, AKA ventricular premature beats (VPBs). Commonly perceived as the heart "skipping a beat". This is normal and happens to everyone from time to time. However, some people with arrhythmia have this continuously for minutes, hours, or even days. The body is resilient, but if you have this for hours continuously every day for months, it can be damaging to the heart and dangerous.

The three most common forms of continuous extrasystoles in people with arrhythmia are those that happen every one, two, or three heartbeats. In order to assess how serious this condition is, a 24- or sometimes 48 hour ECG is made, and the number of 1-VPB, 2-VPB and 3-VPB are counted and calculated as a time percentage of the day. I'm not a cardiologist, but roughly 1,000 VPBs per day and up is cardiologist-appointment-making-type serious. For simplicity's sake say 1% of the day in case of 1-VPB, 1.5% of 2-VPB or 2% of 3-VPB.

2-VPB

It would really help if Fitbit, using the heart rate monitor, could break this down in percentages daily, weekly and monthly. Chances are it occurs for many hours on a day, but only one day per month. Here's a made up example:

• Average bpm: 60
• Percentage Afib: 0%
• Percentage 1-VPB: 1%
• Percentage 2-VPB: 4%
• Percentage 3-VPB: 6%

Because these are percentages, the watches that don't do continuous measuring could interpolate, and add a big warning that this is a rough estimation based on periodic measurements. If an Alta HR measures for 8 seconds with an interval of 5 seconds throughout the day, the accuracy would be roughly 60%.

Now I've noticed that during VPBs, the Alta HR measures heart BPM as if the extrasystoles are the normal systole. During 1-VPB at 40 BPM, the Alta HR measures a heart rate of 80 BPM. This teaches me that the sensor is sensitive enough to catch the quick succession of two systoles. I'm a web app developer myself, and given the clear predictable pattern of these VPBs, it's tempting to think that implementing a VPB detection algorithm would be easy enough. If the Fitbit firmware would be open source and in a language I'm proficient with, I'd probably take a stab at it myself. But since it's not, al I can say is please, please, please take a stab at this. I would also like to describe kneeling down in a beggars' pose when suggesting the idea that a buggy unreliable semi-hidden beta playground function is close to a hundred times better than waiting forever. (Yes, I'm talking about that SpO2 sensor. If only I could just see a value. Please make it happen.)

As described above, I would like to see this option in current watches. I recently bought the Fitbit Versa, as an upgrade from my Fitbit Alta HR, hoping to get some better cardiogram readings. But it's the same. So with Fitbit Pay not working in my country and the SpO2 sensor not working, the Versa is basically an Alta HR with swim tracking support (and a pretty watch face). I'm really hoping this watch will get some useful upgrades in the near future, because my colleagues' Apple Watch puts my Versa Special Edition to shame. I need some features to fight back.

[Laszlo52]

Me too I would like an ECG function. You can do it without touching if you have a bracelet on the left and right hands too. This would also make it possible during to measure sports during. With this, Fitbit could be the market leader, ahead of all its rivals.

[AukeL]

Recently I bought a 200Hz ECG device to compare Fitbit HR time series data to real ECG time series. The final aim would be to calibrate the Fitbit and to chase for AF patterns in Fitbit HR data. Is anyone familiar with similar research?

[REwald]

It really seems that Fitbit has stalled on this front.  I don't want to go to the Apple dark side to get this functionality, but I'm certainly tempted.  There is some hope here, however:  https://www.withings.com/us/en/move-ecg

This is supposed to release anytime now.

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[jrsavoie]

Does anybody know if this will have the same features as the Surge as well?

I would also like instant notifications if my heart rate is out of parameters. Would it be possible to get notification in my sleep? Text or voice message?

[Dutch44]

At my last wellness visit with my doctor he showed me his Apple watch which has an ECG monitor.  This would be a great addition to the Fitbit.  My husband and I are long time Fitbit users.  He has afib and this would help to monitor his heart. As one previous user said, I would hate to forgo my Fitbit for the Apple technology.  Let's see what the Fitbit developers will do for their users.

[iVAN88]

Very good.

[br7250]

There should be a new feature for a fitbit and that is electro cardio gram (ECG). Is there any fitbit unit or model out there that tracks ECG?

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @br7250. That's an interesting idea! Currently we don't have a medical device that can track ECG, and thanks for explaining why you'd like to have this feature in a Fitbit product. I've moved it into a similar request. You can check this other suggestion post a comment or click on the thumbs-up to show your support.  Also, to learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs. 

Watch this space for status updates! In the meantime, try visiting our Lifestyle Discussion Forum to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[Kayles77]

The Galaxy watch from Samsung is likely to have this feature on the next release, it is currently hidden behind a software upgrade until Samsung can get FDA approval. So looks like you better improve your game Fitbit, Android users now have an alternative!