Garmin is the most recent tech company to offer wrist-based ECG monitoring. Garmin announced on Tuesday the release of a new ECG app that will allow users to monitor their heart rate and record any irregularities that may indicate atrial fibrillation (AFib). In the United States, the Venu 2 Plus can be purchased with the app installed, making it the first smartwatch from the company to receive FDA clearance. Further regulatory approval is needed before Garmin can expand support to more devices and regions.
The app allows users to record an ECG in 30 seconds, with the results being displayed either instantly on the watch or in the Garmin Connect app for later review. The new app utilises the Venu 2 Plus’s sensors to record the electrical signals that regulate heart rate during an electrocardiogram. This recording is then analysed by the ECG app for telltale signs of Atrial Fibrillation. When the upper and lower chambers of your heart are not beating in unison, you have atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Users can also sync their data with Garmin Connect to view their ECG history and generate reports to share with their doctor.
Garmin’s vice president of global consumer sales, Dan Bartel, said in a press release, “We are thrilled to offer this revolutionary tool to our customers as another way to stay on top of their health.” The ECG App is Garmin’s first FDA-cleared smartwatch feature. When atrial fibrillation (AFib) is in its earliest stages, patients often experience few symptoms. This makes diagnosis in a clinical setting challenging. The new ECG App for the Venu 2 Plus makes it easy to record an ECG reading at any time and send the data to your doctor or other healthcare provider whenever it’s most convenient.
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Like other apps of its kind, Garmin’s ECG app isn’t meant to diagnose anything but to provide additional information about your health. Garmin’s new ECG app is a welcome addition to the Venu 2 Plus, which competes with smartwatches from Google, Fitbit, Apple, Samsung, and Withings that have offered ECG features for some time.