Sense ECG app won't detect irregular heart rate

[Albertagirl66]

I bought Fitbit sent specifically to try and measure or capture heart palpitations and afib I've been having. This is a Prelude to hopefully never have them to wear Holter monitor for my doctor. However, when using the ECGFeature on The Sense, even when I am clearly having plenty of palpitations or afib it is never picking it up. Is anyone at having any luck getting a measurement other than normal Rhythm for an ECG?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @Albertagirl66 

I too have sometimes heart arrhythmias, like palpitations, and had already a couple of isolated afib episodes before buying my Sense. I bought it mainly for its ECG feature, which produces rather good ECG records, according to my doctors.

So, I never tested Sense's auto-detection of afibs, only got several ECGs with palpitations and sent them to my doctor who find them useful and helpful, besides having quite good quality.

As far as I know, Sense's ECG doesn't have yet auto-detection of other heart events, like palpitations, though you can see them in the ECG records. I also believe, but don't have any experience on that, that some afib events may be missed by current Sense's auto-detection.

Summary:

- I use Sense mainly to send or show ECGs to my doctor. Because very often, some heart events don't happen while you are observed by the doctor.

- To check for afibs and other heart rythm anomalies myself, including palpitations, I prefer to use Fibricheck, a FDA and European Union approved smartphone app, whose graphs are much easier to interpret by non-doctors like myself and seems to auto-detect well afibs. It worked well on the only afib I know I had after starting using Fibricheck.

- So I use both, Sense and Fibricheck. They complement each other.

I hope Fitbit ECG app will soon give more auto-information besides only clear cut afibs, because it just seems the obvious thing to do. If we see them on the records... But I hope they are probably still testing their algorythms for these.

Finally, Sense's ECG doesn't replace Holter exams, either for 24h, 7 days or whatever. They are just a good help to recommend, or not, doing a Holter and sometimes help detect more rare heart events not catched by a Holter.

Hope this helped. Don't hesitate to ask in case you have further questions. I know how it feels starting having heart problems. It is excellent that you are facing them and taking care of them. And if you are being well followed by a doctor, after a while you get used to it, no big deal. Including Holter exams 🙂

UPDATE:

I read somewhere that now we can use Fibricheck in some Fitbit smartwatches, but didn't follow that info.

UPDATE 2:

Apparently the Fibricheck app is available only on Fitbit Versa, Versa 2, Versa Light and Ionic. Anyway, I like to use it on the phone. Each Fibricheck measurement takes 60 seconds, while the Sense ECG is 30 seconds long and the first 2 or 3 seconds are often useless (initial self-adjustments).

[Albertagirl66]

Thank you for all your information. I am frustrated because my Sense is not
picking up the palpitations when I perform the ECG test by placing the 2
fingers on the device. I did look into the Fibriapp however it tells me it
is not available in my country. Bummed. 🙁

[SunsetRunner]

Sorry to hear about that, @Albertagirl66. I rechecked just now on Fibricheck and they still only mention Europe, USA and Australia.

Anyway, you can always save your Sense's ECG records, or use the option Share, and print them or send them as pdf files to your doctor. Sense ECG doesn't auto-detect your palpitations but they must be in the ECG records and your doctor will identify them. That's what I do.

[SunsetRunner]

By the way, you may find this topic of interest, with tips to get clear ECG records:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Sense/Noisy-ECG/m-p/4672360#M13299

[SunsetRunner]

UPDATE:

Yesterday I had, unfortunately, my first opportunity to test Sense's ECG while having an Afib episode. A bad one, ended up in hospital for several hours.

Used the ECG app while with Afib and its results were always "Inconclusive", which was as stated in its instructions, as my heart rate was always above 120.

The ECG graphs were good though. I sent them to my doctor, but that will be useful mainly for the future (as most people, I'm not an ECG expert interpreter).

The ECG Afib auto-detection doesn't work by design if HR is above 120. Disappointing and useless in this case.

But my phone Fibricheck app, which uses optical readings and is available in other Fitbit watches but not on Sense, stated that an Afib could be happening (red color!). Also showed the average heart rate (sometimes over 160) and its graphs supported all that. It was happening. Much more useful for an emergency situation when we have doubts just by taking our pulse and we don't have a doctor right there (how often does that happen?).

[JGB53081]

I use the ECG feature often on my Fitbit sense. It usually tells me the result is “inconclusive”. 

I have AFib, PVC’s, and PAC’s. The PVC’s and PAC’s were diagnosed by my doctor from sending him a Sense ECG that I was told was “inconclusive” by the app, but, is still readable by my cardiologist.  So, although the app tells me it’s “inconclusive”, it is still generating a viable ECG test that is able to be read by a Doctor.