Monitoring your heart rhythm with a smartphone: A good call?
Just over two years ago, the FDA approved the AliveCor Heart Monitor, which consists of a smartphone app plus a phone case with special sensors on the back. Touching the sensors with your fingers allows you to see a simple version of your heart's electrical activity on the phone screen. In the latest version, called Kardia, the sensors just need to be near (not necessarily on) your phone. The readout reveals if your heart rhythm looks normal or if you appear to have atrial fibrillation (afib)—a rapid, irregular heart rhythm that raises the risk of stroke.
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