Nine devices will get the update in the coming weeks
Your Fitbit may soon receive a new feature to help detect atrial fibrillation. Last month, Google revealed this new feature for identifying atrial fibrillation through its Fitbit wearable products (via Android Central). Soon after, it received the go-ahead from the FDA to roll out the feature. Now, Google has confirmed the feature is rolling out to select products from April 25.
The new AFib detection is an algorithm intended to monitor your heart rate rhythm when you are asleep or staying still. If the algorithm detects anything it believes could be connected with AFib, it’ll notify you through Fitbit’s Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature.
AFib is a complex condition to detect, and Fitbit cites research that confirms around 33 million people around the globe suffer from the condition. AFib can significantly increase your chance of a stroke. If you receive a notification through this feature, you should discuss the information with your doctor or another healthcare professional.
Fitbit’s new algorithm works similarly to an ECG monitor that you’d find on wearables such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, but it doesn’t need the same hardware. That means Fitbit products that don’t have ECG monitors can include this feature. Both the Fitbit Charge 5 and Sense already include ECG monitors, but they’re also getting this update to help better detect the condition.
The nine products to get the new update for AFib detection are:
- Fitbit Sense
- Fitbit Luxe
- Fitbit Versa 3
- Fitbit Versa 2
- Fitbit Versa Lite
- Fitbit Inspire 2
- Fitbit Charge 5
- Fitbit Charge 4
- Fitbit Charge 3
It’s pretty remarkable that this feature now means the Fitbit Charge 3 — a fitness tracker from 2018 — can now offer Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications. AFib detection has become a big talking point in the best smartwatches over the last five or so years, but it wasn’t a feature that was included on Fitbit products until 2020. If you own one of the above trackers or smartwatches and live in the US, you should expect to see the update roll out in the coming weeks. It’s currently unclear when Fitbit will be offering this feature to those outside the US, as it’ll require approval from other regulators.
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