Continuous AFib Monitoring Coming to Fitbit Watches Following FDA Approval
Fitbit owner Google this week came a step closer to rivaling the health features of Apple Watch after the FDA approved its new algorithm for continuously monitoring users' heart rate rhythms.

Like Apple Watch, Fitbit devices with a heart-rate monitoring capability include an ECG app that must be manually run by the user to check for irregular rhythms, which can be a sign of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a potentially serious heart arrhythmia condition. AFib affects nearly 33.5 million people globally, and individuals with AFib have five times higher risk of stroke.
For several years, the Apple Watch has had one up on rival smartwatches by including an irregular rhythm notifications feature, which occasionally checks heart rhythm in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm is identified that could potentially be atrial fibrillation (AFib). Upon receiving a notification, users can then launch the ECG app and perform a more comprehensive 30-second test by placing their finger on the Digital Crown to generate an ECG waveform.
Google's new PPG (photoplethysmography) algorithm works similarly by passively monitoring heart rhythm in the background overnight and whenever the user is resting, making for a potentially more capable life saver.
The clinical validation for Fitbit's PPG algorithm is supported by data from the landmark Fitbit Heart Study, which launched in 2020 and enrolled 455,699 participants over five months. The study was conducted entirely virtually during the pandemic, making it one of the largest remote studies of PPG-based software to date. Data presented at the 2021 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions found that the Fitbit PPG detections correctly identified AFib episodes 98% of the time, as confirmed by ECG patch monitors.
Google says the new PPG-based algorithm and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature will soon be available to consumers in the U.S. across a range of heart-rate enabled Fitbit devices.
Apple plans to further bolster the health smarts offered by Apple Watch this year, with a new body temperature monitoring sensor expected to feature in the Apple Watch Series 8. As part of watchOS 9, Apple is also planning to improve its existing atrial fibrillation detection feature with a new capability to measure how long a person is in a state of atrial fibrillation across a certain period.
Related Stories
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have created an artificial intelligence algorithm that is able to use single-lead ECGs taken by the Apple Watch to find patients who have a weak heart pump, according to research data that was shared this week at the Heart Rhythm Society conference.
A weak heart pump, or left ventricular dysfunction, is an issue that affects two to three percent of people...
Apple must face claims it illegally monopolized the U.S. market for heart-rate monitoring apps on Apple Watch, a California-based federal judge said on Monday. AliveCor, a company that that markets an ECG "KardiaBand" for the Apple Watch, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in May 2021 accusing the Cupertino company of changing the heart-rate algorithm for the Apple Watch to gain an...
The Apple Watch has been praised for saving yet another person's life after it led to a tumor diagnosis, Today reports.
Maine resident Kim Durkee began wearing an Apple Watch two years ago to monitor her steps and get help in case she fell thanks to Fall Detection. During her sleep, Durkee's Apple Watch detected an irregular heart rhythm that suggested the presence of atrial fibrillation.
...
Saturday November 27, 2021 11:23 am PST by
Sami FathiA former nurse practitioner has thanked her Apple Watch and its Low Heart Rate notification for likely saving her life, crediting the watch's advanced and proactive health and medical capabilities for alerting her to a potentially life-threatening condition. 68-year old Patti Sohn was gifted an Apple Watch for Mother's Day by her son and has since developed a habit of closing her activity...
Apple today announced that it will be offering a new Heart Month Activity Challenge next month. Apple Watch users can complete the Activity Challenge by completing 30 minutes in their Exercise ring on February 14 to earn a special award and custom iMessage stickers.
Also starting February 14, Apple Fitness+ will feature a special section of 30-minute energizing workouts, along with a new...
While past rumors have indicated the upcoming second-generation AirPods Pro will feature a built-in heart rate and body temperature sensor, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has cast doubt on those rumors turning out to be true, saying instead such a feature is unlikely to come anytime soon.
"Over the past few months, there have been rumors about this year's model gaining the ability to determine a...
The Apple Watch Series 8 will feature new hardware to facilitate further health monitoring, according to recent reports.
Body temperature monitoring for the Apple Watch has long been rumored by sources like Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, but over the past year rumors have crystalized around the feature finally debuting on the Apple Watch Series 8 later this year. Reports indicate that while it...
While the Apple Watch Series 8 is reportedly on schedule to feature a body-temperature sensor when it launches later this year, Apple's more advanced health technology is still some time away.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently said that Apple's blood-pressure monitoring technology is not expected to arrive until 2025, and blood-glucose monitoring is not set to be ready until "nearer to the...
Popular Stories
There's just about a month to go until Apple holds its annual September event focusing on new iPhone and Apple Watch models. We thought we'd take a quick look at everything that's rumored for Apple's September event to give MacRumors readers a rundown on what to expect when the first fall event rolls around.
iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 can probably be described more as an "iPhone 13S" because...
Earlier today, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed iPhone 14 Pro models will be more expensive than iPhone 13 Pro models. Kuo did not reveal exact pricing, but he said that the average selling price of all four iPhone 14 models will increase by about 15% overall.
While higher prices would be disappointing for customers, it is possible the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will offer increased...
Apple plans to increase the prices of iPhone 14 Pro models compared to iPhone 13 Pro models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo did not reveal exact pricing for the iPhone 14 Pro models. However, in a tweet today, he estimated that the average selling price of the iPhone 14 lineup as a whole will increase by about 15% compared to the iPhone 13 lineup.
In the United States, the iPhone...
Wednesday August 10, 2022 4:08 am PDT by
Sami FathiThe launch of the new iPhone 14 is just a few weeks away, meaning millions of iPhone customers will soon upgrade their existing iPhone or perhaps get an iPhone for the first time. Exclusive MacRumors iPhone 14 Pro renders by graphic designer Ian Zelbo Whether upgrading from an older model or this is your first iPhone, we've rounded up a few tips to help you prepare for the next flagship...
Samsung this week launched its fourth-generation foldable devices, the $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip and the $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold. Though there's no sign of a comparable Apple foldable device on the horizon, rumors suggest prototypes are in the works, so we thought we'd take a look at Samsung's newest smartphones to see what Apple needs to measure up to when a foldable iPhone does come out.
Subscribe ...
It wouldn't be the month before an iPhone launch without a few back-and-forth rumors, with the latest debate concerning iPhone 14 Pro storage.
iPhone 14 Pro render by Ian Zelbo While research firm TrendForce forecasted that iPhone 14 Pro models could start with an increased 256GB of storage, Haitong International analyst Jeff Pu today forecasted that the upcoming Pro models will continue to...
Top Rated Comments
While "competition" is good, I cannot believe that people let Google anywhere near their health related data.
I've been using Fitbits for years. When google bought Fitbit, I was debating to "throw it away" and get an apple watch. I didn't and know google has my fitness data.