Smart watches and devices are making more people aware of their irregular heartbeats. In fact, in some cases, they are leading to a common condition being diagnosed sooner: Atrial Fibrillation, commonly known as “AFib.”
“It has never been easier to track your heart rate with smart watches and other monitoring devices than it is nowadays. This is leading people to be much more aware of their heartbeats and its regularity,” said Dr. John Day, a cardiologist and clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at the Heart Center at St. Mark’s. He is also the physician executive of Cardiovascular Services for MountainStar Healthcare.
Dr. Day joined FOX13’s The PLACE Friday to discuss the most common type of heart rhythm disorder in the U.S. and the technology that may assist patients and their physicians in better tracking their heart. Day says we are seeing a lot of AFib right now partially because of our aging population, but also because of early diagnosis.
“Everyone’s wearing their Apple watches, their Samsung watches, their Fitbit watches, and so many of these watches are able to diagnose Atrial Fibrillation. Or, you can actually run an EKG right from your watch,” Dr. Day said.
So, can a smart watch really save your life? Technically, yes… but, not alone.
“In a study of AFib alerts on smart watches, 1/3 were found to be true Atrial Fibrillation and the others were false alarms. The most common false alarm is premature beats, but a number of factors can mistakenly trigger an AFib alert – including if the watch wearer is moving around or if someone has a tremor that can affect the read,” he added.
Dr. Day says it’s incredibly important that patients do not replace their physician with a smart device.
“Don’t let a smart watch or device replace your physician. See your doctor! We are happy to see you at the Heart Center as soon as possible. Our goal is to get all patients in within one business day. That’s one-day access to world class cardiovascular care,” Dr. Day said. “Smart devices can be good monitors of your heart health, but that is monitored data that your physician should access and evaluate from your smart device. A smart device alone – without a physician – is not sufficient.”
And smart devices have additional limitations. For example, smart watches cannot diagnose heart failure or a heart attack.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm or arrhythmia. During AFib, the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly and out of sync with the lower heart chambers.
AFib causes a variety of symptoms, including fast or chaotic heartbeat, fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain, and increases a person's risk of stroke. Ablation is one of several procedural and medical interventions used to control AFib symptoms and reduce stroke risk.
Dr. Days says one in four Americans will get AFib in their lifetime.
“The good news is that it can be treated and even completely eliminated in many patients,” he said.
Risk factors for Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) include:
· Age
· Caffeine, nicotine or illegal drug use
· Drinking too much alcohol
· Changes in the level of body minerals
· Family history
· Heart problems or heart surgery
· High blood pressure
· Obesity
· Other long-term health conditions
· Some medicines and supplements
· Thyroid disease
· RELATED: St. Mark's Hospital first in Utah to use new A-Fib treatment
AFib can lead to blood clots in the heart. The condition also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
Cardiovascular Services
The Heart Center at St. Mark’s offers a variety of services for people with heart conditions, including but not limited to:
· Convergent ablation
o The center’s specialists are the first in Utah to work together to use convergent ablation as an option for people with the type of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, that is the most difficult to treat.
o These heart specialists are among only a limited number nationwide who are combining their expertise to offer one of the most advanced AFib treatments available today. Their team approach is improving the lives of patients with the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia who have not responded well to catheter ablations and other treatments.
· Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
o The cardiovascular care team is now performing a lifesaving procedure for patients with aortic valve stenosis who can't have traditional open-heart surgery. This advanced TAVR procedure is performed in only a very small number of hospitals in the U.S. In fact, at last report, St. Mark’s Hospital is proud to be one of only three locations in Utah offering this option.
· Arrhythmia treatments
· Cardiac catheterization & devices
· Coronary calcium scan
· Left atrial appendage closure
· Lipid management (cholesterol)
· Pacemaker implants
· Stress echocardiogram
· Transesophageal echocardiography
The Heart Center at St. Mark's cares for patients who have heart diseases and other problematic issues or conditions. The center’s highly trained team of cardiologists are experts in treating many cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. The center provides this care as an accredited Chest Pain Center.
The Heart Center at St. Mark's offers cardiovascular consults within 24 hours. For immediate access for appointments and provider questions, call (801) 288-4400.
About Dr. John D. Day
Dr. John Day graduated from medical school at Johns Hopkins University. He did his residency in internal medicine, cardiology, and cardiac electrophysiology fellowship training at Stanford University. Dr. Day is board certified in cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology.
Dr. Day previously served as president of the Heart Rhythm Society and was the past president of the Utah chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He is recognized as an international thought leader, regularly speaking at Atrial Fibrillation medical conferences around the world about the latest developments in the treatment of AFib.
Dr. Day currently serves as the physician executive of cardiovascular services for MountainStar Healthcare (HCA Healthcare’s Mountain Division). He has a large clinical practice focusing on Atrial Fibrillation at St. Mark's Hospital. Dr. Day warmly welcomes new Atrial Fibrillation patients into his practice.
The Heart Center at St. Mark’s Hospital
1160 East 3900 South Suite 2000
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
For more information, visit StMarksHeart.com or call (801) 266-3418.
To read more about the procedure, click here.
