FitBit is carrying out a study to detect common heart condition AFib - here’s what it is

Tracking the number of steps you take is easy with smartwatches and wearable devices.

But now Fitbit is taking health monitoring to a whole new level, as it carries out a study to detect heart condition Atrial fibrillation, or AFib.

This is everything you need to know about the condition and the technology FitBit is developing.

What is the study being carried out by FitBit?

Fitbit launched the Fitbit Heart Study on 5 May to validate the use of its wearable technology as a means of identifying episodes of irregular heart rhythm, which could suggest atrial fibrillation (AFib).

In a statement FitBit said: “Fitbit wearables have the unique potential to accelerate AFib detection because their 24/7 heart rate tracking is powered by long battery life, which allows users to wear their device for multiple days at a time.

“This enables long term heart rhythm assessment including when users are asleep. The optimal way to identify irregular rhythm through heart rate tracking technology is to screen when the body is at rest, making assessment overnight, while people sleep, ideal for detection.”

The FitBit Health Study, which is open to FitBit users in the US, asks people to wear their compatible Fitbit tracker or smartwatch, and the company will notify them if they identify an irregular heart rhythm that indicates AFib.

If a user gets a notification, they’ll be connected with a doctor for a free consultation to discuss next steps.

What is AFib?

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) describes AFib as “the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm”.

Those with AFib have an “irregular and sometimes fast pulse” although those with AFib can have a slow pulse rate as well.

“Atrial fibrillation happens when electrical impulses fire off from different places in the top chambers of the heart (the atria) in a disorganised way,” the BHF explains. “These irregular impulses cause the atria to quiver or twitch, which is known as fibrillation.”