The ECG detectors on watches are getting better, but they actually work like a pulse oximeter rather than an actual ECG. This is by looking at the pulse wave and sensing whether or not it is regular. As you’re young, any sinus arrhythmia (which is sinus rhythm made slightly irregular by vagal tone from respiration) can be called AF accidentally by the watch. In saying that, do you have a history of AF? VT and AF have quite different pathologies.

source - cardiac physiologist

I want to know about this also. The Venue 3 has the ecg app, but it appears to be more of a lifestyle watch rather than a running watch. Can it compare with a 245? I want to replace my watch, but don’t want to lose any running functionality.

I have AFib. Prior to treatment, my right upper chamber was double tapping. My ejection fraction was 10-15pct. Think I was closer to dead than anyone will tell me. Running has allowed my heart to recover, and my cardiologist is certainly in favor of it.

The stress score on the 245 does a good job of recording AFib sessions. I can see when I’m out of rhythm, even if the HR is not overly high.

I think an Apple watch would be your best bet. Modern Apple watches are pretty competent running watches and have top notch GPS accuracy, especially if you get an Apple Ultra watch. A few higher end Garmin watches also have ECG support but I don’t know if that includes Afib detection.

1. if you have a medical device and specific medical needs, please don’t ask us for things that satisfy rigorous medical standards. your doctor should have the training (and is certainly accountable) to identify what kinds of features you should be looking for, and what devices actually achieve a standard of reliability that they would feel comfortable with you using and relying on
2. i don’t know what “youngish” means, and the ambiguity is making me really nervous. what do you consider “young”? and what’s “youngish”? are you 33? 25? 14? from different perspectives, these are all potentially “young-ish”.
3. please, please don’t bring these kinds of high-stakes questions to reddit. there are idiots floating around on here just waiting for an opportunity to use chatGPT or something to give you dubious advice for upvotes. it’s fine for getting lots of perspectives of laypeople, but if your life depends on this, talk to someone whose authority on the subject is earned.

you don’t need to set up a formal appointment with your doctor. just email or call and ask them what they recommend. they know your medical issues and history, and they know things about you like your age. if the question is simple and straightforward, they’ll just tell you to go with whatever is on the market; if they want you to keep track of very specific metrics and they really want those metrics to be accurate, then maybe they’ll tell you that they’ll look into it and get back to you. there’s no way you can lose by asking your doctor.

One thing to be aware of is the Garmin ECG app only works if you’re in a country where the ECG has been approved by health authorities. So if you’re in Canada, you can’t use the feature.

If you’re in afib, a wrist-worn device won’t detect the increased heart-rate because the out of sync beating means only a few beats are actually pumping enough blood to give a beat a your wrist. If you want to more accurately monitor for a more elevated heart-rate, get a heart-rate strap.

I’ve got a similar screwed up heart issue and I use the Apple watch. There’s also the Fourth Frontier which I’ve been considering for a while which collects various different metrics about the heart.

The Fourth Frontier will work with your Android too.

Kardia makes some very good mobile ECGs. You can do a six lead which is the best you can get outside of having chest leads. I think dedicated devices like that are a better bet than a fitness watch.

The dcrainmaker.com product comparison tool should answer all your questions as to the capability of the watch. But you should definitely listen to the post by the cardiac physiologist. AFIBand VTAC are entirely different issues with different heart rhythms. Unless your medical team is advising you that AFIB is something you are at risk for, you’re not going to be looking for the right thing if you’re looking specifically at a watch that measures AFIB.

I’m 32F two weeks post-ICD placement! I also had v-tach and an ejection fraction of 15% (now improved). I’m nowhere near back to running yet, but I wear a Garmin Venu 2 to track my HR. I know wrist-based monitors can be inaccurate, but it brings me some peace of mind to know I’m staying within a certain range - my pacemaker kicks in if I drop below 60bpm, will try to pace me if I hit 170bpm, and the ICD is programmed to shock at 200bpm.

I’m an RN with a year’s experience on a cardio surgical floor (not very long) so I might offer some insight. Glad you’re ok! (Also definitely ask your team about this and don’t take this as medical advice)

But VT and Afib are very different things. In VT yes your heart is going very fast but it’s still in a “regular” rhythm where afib is irregular which is what a watch looks for so imo an afib detection watch might not pick it up properly. If you don’t have one, picking up a chest strap monitor that pairs with your watch would do a better job of picking it up than a wrist based monitor such as your watch. That way if your heart speeds up without good reason you can take a walk break before you enter VT hopefully and feel a jolt from your ICD.

This said be careful and keep in contact with your team and stay safe!

Cardiac electrophysiology guy here. If you experience VT again, your ICD should detect it right away and try to do some specialized pacing to try to get you out of the Vtach. If it doesn’t work, it will shock you out of it. Unfortunately it’s unlikely that any fitness wearables would detect the arrhythmias before the ICD has delt with it, and even if you did catch it before the ICD, there’s not much you would be able to do anyways except wait for the shock. Most of these devices are programmed to check for afib (an irregular heartbeat) as opposed to VT (a regular very fast heartbeat) so unless it’s set to watch out for extreme heart rates, these watches can’t differentiate VT from normal rhythms.

Hey. Did you get any explanation behind why you went into Ventricular Tachycardia - have you had a diagnosis? Do you have a history of cardiac disease in your family?

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The reason I ask is, there are some cardiac gene mutations that have a strong association with endurance sports and worse outcomes / fatalities. This is because of the way that endurance sports change the physiology and musculature of the heart; and also a strong possibility of cardiac events during exercise. I’m waiting back for results on a gene mutation myself currently (my mother died of a cardiac arrest 11 years ago and we recently discovered we have a mutation in the family).

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I was under the impression that exercise is severely limited in such conditions so I’m surprised that you’re cleared to run - I’m only recently learning about heart conditions and running, so I don’t know much. That being said, your best bet would be a heart rate monitor, not a watch. Apical HR doesn’t tend to be super accurate.

No watch is going do a better job than your ICD at detecting an arrhythmia!

Hey OP - I’m an internal medicine physician. Not medical advice but I think a good priority for any watch you get would be one that has automatic fall detection/alert. If you do flip into VT again and your ICD goes off you may be in a position where you are unable to call for help.

I believe most newer gen Apple Watches and Garmins have this feature. Just a thought!