Smartwatch / Wearable for Heart recommendations

[Protimenow]

I saw a post (I don't recall who posted it) about avoiding the iPhone 13 because of strong magnets and her pacemaker. This was in a different thread.

I did a bit of research, (FDA warns of pacemaker-iPhone interference) and saw that there were some concerns about the iPhone 6 and iPhone 12 (and, presumably, newer models) having large magnets that, if held within 6 inches of the pacemaker, can cause it to go into 'magnet mode.' This mode is used to interrogate or reset the pacemaker.

They recommend that the phone or watch should be at least 6 inches from the pacemaker when not being charged, or 12 inches when on the charger. The concern is that an iPhone in a shirt pocket might be close enough to the pacemaker to put it into magnet mode.

The effects of the magnets quickly diminishes when it's moved farther from the pacemaker. I suspect that if you don't charge your phone using MagSafe, which generates an electrical field, instead using the Thunderbird cable, there should be no problem as long as the phone is kept more than six inches from the pacemaker.

I wear an Apple Watch 7. although I sometimes have my wrist near my chest, I suspect that the magnetic field doesn't go through my arm and cause any effect on my pacemaker. Although I haven't held the watch, with its face exposed, directly above my pacemaker, I don't plan to do so (so I don't know if the field is strong enough to pass THROUGH the watch and have any effect on my pacemaker). I also don't get close enough to the watch when it's charging to worry about electrical fields.

Although the issue with phones and smart watches having large magnets (the magnets are used to connect the devices to the chargers), I suspect that a bit of caution (and I mean 'a bit' - not a whole lot) should be enough to avoid any pacemaker issues.

 

[Protimenow]

I don't understand what <<bioimpedance trackers are>> and why they mention this and if there is something else they use .

Bioimpedance is a measure of your body's resistance to an electrical signal. I have a scale that uses bioimpedance to measure muscle mass, weight (of course), calculate how much muscle mass I have, and other factors). Because I'm standing on it when the test is made, so far, the bioimpedance measurement hasn't bothered my pacemaker. The current used is very low.

I'm not exactly how well bioimpedance can be used to measure heart rate (this is usually done with an led and optical sensor), or how it measures blood oxygen (probably a similar way), but, in answer to your question, bioimpedance is a measure of resistance to electricity - it varies based on certain biologic factors. (I googled bioimpedance, and there it was...)

 

[pellicle]

I don't understand what <<bioimpedance trackers are>> and why they mention this and if there is something else they use .

some use green light and measure blood flow optically

 

[pellicle]

Recently a lot of attention has been given to Smart watches on a number of fronts, this article is more related to blood sugar, but demonstrates the sort of critical thinking needed when evaluating some products (especially new ones with little to no history)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7731259/

The advantages and limitations of non-invasive and invasive technologies as well as electrochemistry and optics in non-invasives are compared horizontally in this paper​

 

[Beach77]

I have a Samsung smart watch and phone. It has the ekg feature, along with the HR. During a couple of SVT's and racing heart, I was able to do a reading with the ekg feature. The nice thing about that was when I did meet with my doctor about the SVT's/racing heart, I had printouts of the episodes, along with my log. The doctor was pleased that I had them. He is an apple guy and seemed disappointed I didn't have an apple watch. Then the rhythm specialist asked to look at look at the app. I could tell he knew what to look at and was quick going through the days etc. He was also happy I had it. I usually don't pay much attention to the heart stuff on my watch, only when I feel something. I see it as a tool for myself to monitor my heart when needed and it gives me something to show the doctor as back-up.

 

[Protimenow]

I have an Apple Watch 7. I sometimes use it for EKGs, too. I run an EKG when I'm having an arrhythmia, and sometimes just to confirm that the rhythm seems to be okay.
My EKG also shows up on my iPhone, and I'm able to save individual EKGs as PDF files that I can send to my Cardiologist. I also have a pacemaker that, in theory, sends a copy of my EKG to the doctor via the Merlin At Home machine.

Until last year, I was all Android - there was nothing Apple in my home. Right now, most of my stuff IS Apple (and it probably doesn't make a lot of difference - except that I appreciate how the phone and watch are integrated).

A little has been written about the dangers of having a smart watch or cell phone when a person has a pacemaker. FWIW - unless I hold the phone or the back of my watch directly over my pacemaker, I don't expect ANY problems.

 

[Protimenow]

This is an old thread, but I'm adding this little bit to it:

My arrhythmias don't always work well with an Apple Watch - or a HR sensing strap that I'll probably return to Amazon - or even a Blood Pressure monitor. They even confused the heart rate monitor in the hospital, with rates reported as low as being in the 30s and as high as 100 or so.

The watch records ECGs. It usually tells me that the results are 'inconclusive' (because it's looking at heart rate issues (AFib is one), so it can't conclude that I have THOSE issues.

For now, I use the watch to monitor my heart rate and let me know when, occasionally, my heart rate is actually over 110 for more than ten minutes.

I also sometimes use it for ECG.

My pacemaker is supposed to also record certain types of dangerous heartbeat irregularities.

 

[Gail in Ca]

Oh, we just celebrated the Christmas season and I recall that lovely Garmin commercial that used the “Ring Christmas Bells” tune and sang , “Garmin dot com, Garmin dot com…

 

[Motion4663]

I bought a Garmin Fenix 7 after being diagnosed with severe mitral valve regurgitation and knowing that I would need surgery. I did find it reassuring to have a constant heart rate monitor in the weeks leading up to surgery. I have been discharged for 2 1/2 weeks, and use the garmin to track my daily endurance walk and short walks. I personally find it helpful to track progress, as well as heart rate during and after walking to ensure it stays within the range recommended by my surgeon. To be fair it hasn't come close to any limit through the prescribed walking, but mentally I do find it helpful to set and track recovery goals. The hospital discharged me with a log book that I use as well.

What I like about the Garmin:

• No subscription fee's
• can be connected to a phone as a smartwatch, or simply function as fitness tracker
• works with both Iphone/Android (I am on Android)
• measures Heart rate, pulse ox, HRV, sleep cycles, stress, 'body battery' and much more then I need during activity and at rest
• can view all past history in their app to track progress (or lack of, I've needed 'rest days')

What I don't like:

• a small gripe, but they use a propriatary charging cable. Why not use a universal usb-c?
• the model I own does not record an EKG. I believe newer models might.

Best of luck. Please let us know what you decide on.

 

[Elcarim]

I have a Garmin Vivosmart 5 and it's great. I'm a bit of a luddite, but I find it easy to use and I use most of the available features, the notable exception being the pulse ox. The pulse ox is not very accurate and uses up a lot of battery. I find it great for monitoring stress levels over time, and on more than one occasion it has let me know when I was getting sick. The heart rate monitor seems accurate most of the time, although it doesn't deal well with the combination of sweat and sunscreen. I like that I can use it to find my phone, or to call my emergency contacts if required.

I am pacemaker dependent and the tracker has not caused any problems with this.