Are Handheld ECG Monitors Accurate?

Posted by AliveCor India on March 19th, 2021

A handheld ECG monitor is a portable ECG monitoring device that gives a complete diagnosis of arrhythmia. It provides full disclosure of ECG signal, complete data analysis as well as comprehensive reporting, and allows for heart monitoring at home. 

The personal heart monitoring system makes a more precise diagnosis possible, even in some cases that result undetected with offline monitoring like ECG Holter and multi-week ECG patch devices. It is said that people with AFib are up to five times more likely to experience a stroke and have a higher risk of heart failure that is why keeping the heart in proper rhythm with medications or other treatments can be important.

But now, the technology is even more advanced with the arrival of personal ECG devices with no hassles of wires. It gives out a full and accurate diagnosis of your heart anywhere, anytime. 

The AliveCor Kardia and kardia 6l is a Food and Drug Administration-approved cardiac rhythm monitor that records a lead-Intelligent ECG. Despite the appeal of wearable integrated ECG devices, there is a paucity of data evaluating their accuracy in diagnosing atrial fibrillation (AF). We evaluated whether a smartwatch-based device for AF detection is an accurate tool for diagnosing AF when compared with 12-lead ECG.

This longer monitoring is often necessary to detect afib, because the chaotic heart rhythm may last just a few minutes and occur only occasionally. While some people have troubling symptoms such as dizziness and breathlessness, up to a third of people with AFib have no symptoms.

Normally, an ECG uses 12 electrodes placed on the chest, arms, and legs to record the heart's electrical activity. But a simpler version, known as a single-lead ECG (like that used in the Kardia system), is sufficient to detect an irregular pulse, which raises the suspicion of AFib. You can share the 30-second recordings with your cardiologist, which might help inform your treatment. People diagnosed with AFib typically take anti-clotting drugs to lower their risk of stroke.

Giving accurate results, KardiaMobile is completely wireless and you don’t need any other equipment for a medical-grade answer.