Kardia Mobile/Apple watch

kardia

by Tracey_E - 2024-03-11 16:26:44

I don't have afib, but overall my apple watch is uncannily accurate.

None of these devices are harmful for pacemakers.

I don't know about kardia but I've had a lot of trouble with my pacer interfering with heart rate monitors. It either picks up the pacing spikes as well as the beats and shows a very high rate, or the pacer keeps it from getting any reading at all. Over the years, I've bought and returned half a dozen different models. Which is why I was shocked to find my apple watch is very accurate. I bought it for music and getting texts, the heart function actually working was a nice bonus. 

I've never heard of depending on a device to let you know when you are in afib in order to take meds for it. That sounds kinda iffy to me, but again, I'm no expert. 

I have Kardia Mobile 6 lead

by Gemita - 2024-03-11 16:30:58

Bob, Kardia Mobile is fine for a pacemaker patient.  The manufacturers have to say it is not recommended for pacemaker users because it hasn’t been tested for use with a pacemaker, but it clearly works well in detecting AF.  I have a 6 lead Kardia Mobile which I use often and it always gives excellent feedback.    When you set the tracing duration, set it to 60 seconds rather than 30 seconds, which will give you and your doctors more information.   

If you have paroxysmal AF and you have risk factors for an AF stroke, you should be on anticoagulation.  It only takes a short run of AF to put you at considerable risk.

blood thinners

by new to pace.... - 2024-03-11 17:38:14

Am not a medical person does not sound right to be that you can be on and off blood thinners.  I thought you are either taking something or not.  Checking to see how you are doing does not make any sense.

new to pace

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ( AF)

by Selwyn - 2024-03-12 13:58:25

My understanding is that the risk of stroke is the same with paroxysmal AF as with continuous AF. 

There is conflicting evidence on whether stroke risk varies based on the type of AF. In the ACTIVE W trial (Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial With Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events), which enrolled 6706 patients and compared anticoagulant therapy versus the combination of aspirin and clopidogrel, the risk of stroke or systemic embolism was similar in patients with paroxysmal as compared with persistent AF (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.59–1.30).

Other studies have found a gradation in risk depending on the duration of AF activity. The big question is whether you are willing to gamble or opt for some safety, though obviously anticoagulation is not without risk. 

As above, Kardia is quite safe with pacemakers, however, it fails to show pacemaker spikes.  It is fairly good at detecting AF - the same cannot be said for atrial flutter! ( Lots of personal experience).