When you decide to make an active lifestyle part of your weight loss efforts, it is a good idea to get an activity tracker. These devices range from very simple to very advanced. The basic ones are simple step counters, while the advanced ones allow measuring many more aspects.
Steps, blood pressure, oxygen levels in the blood, and heart rate, are just a few.
Fitbit Devices
One of the most popular devices for activity tracking is a Fitbit. Fitbit has a wide range of product offerings, including smartwatches and trackers. Together with their phone app, you can really benefit from gaining insight into your activity, whether it is just for fitness, or as an aid in your weight loss journey.
For the Fitbit devices that include a heart rate monitor, there is even more good news. The FDA in the US has recently approved the Fitbit algorithm that passively checks for atrial fibrillation (Afib).
What that means is that their devices can detect Afib and inform the wearer of the device.
Afib is a heart condition that affects millions worldwide. It is a heart rhythm condition where the heart beats irregularly, and faster than normal. The problem with Afib is that it is not continuous, and as a result can be hard to detect.
By using continuous heart rate measurement, together with the new algorithm, Afib can be detected with a 98% accuracy according to a 2020 study.
Other Devices for Heart Rate Monitoring
Fitbit is not the only device that offers heart rate monitoring, the Apple Watch (Series 4 onward) and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 also offer heart rate measurements using EKG sensors. Up to now, however, the wearer always needs to manually trigger the display of an ECG.
The Apple Watch also offers Afib detection and notification on some devices and in some countries. This is not continuous, the algorithm to look for Afib is run occasionally, mainly when the wearer is not moving. More details on that are available from Apple.
For people with an Afib condition, this is great news. Early detection can help prevent more serious conditions, such as heart attacks, and strokes.