Heart Health
Device of the month: Mobile ECG device
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
A traditional electrocardiogram (ECG) allows doctors to record, monitor, and diagnose your heart's electrical activity. Done in a health care setting, the test involves placing 12 electrodes on your arms, legs, and chest. But for about $80, you can buy a small, handheld, single-electrode device to record an ECG at home. Known as a mobile ECG device, it's designed to detect heart rhythm disorders, especially atrial fibrillation (afib), which causes a rapid, irregular heart rhythm.
To use the device, you place your fingers on the sensors for 30 seconds. The rhythm is displayed either on the device or on an app on your nearby smartphone and identified as either normal or possible afib. Suspicious recordings can then be transmitted via email or an online health portal to your doctor's office.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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