With each heartbeat, an electrical impulse travels through your heart. These small electrical impulses carry a lot of information on your cardiac wellbeing and can be detected with electrodes attached to your skin. Electrocardiogram or ECG is the method of detecting the electrical activity of your heart and visualising them in the form of waves.A medical expert can check the ECG for signs of issues like atrial fibrillation or cardiac arrhythmia (irregular beating of the heart). There are plenty of chest straps that can monitor your heart, making ECG accessible to amateur fitness enthusiasts. With these devices, you get reports similar to a professional electrocardiogram.These machines, even though they do not give perfect reports, can be life-savers at times for people who are not yet aware of their heart conditions. Based on the readings provided by your ECG device, you can get professional help.Here are a few tips from us to help you buy the right device.

QardioCore

QardioCore is a smart, wearable ECG monitor. The device is designed for improved detection and management of cardiac conditions. Six subsystem layers of QardioCores sensor system accurately record and analyze over 20 million data points along with other heart metrics.QardioCore is a wireless Bluetooth ECG monitor perfect for everyday use, without having to compromise on your comfort and lifestyle. You just have to wear it around your chest like a heart rate band. The device records your ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, respiratory rate, activity and stress level.The smartphone app linked to the machine offers simple data visualization that is easy to understand. QardioCore is a good device, but it is expensive. It is more suited for people with higher health risk genetically, a history of heart attacks or strokes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and excess weight.

AliveCor KardiaBand

The launch of Apple Watch with ECG monitor has not slowed down the demand for AliveCor like everyone speculated. The recent product from AliveCor is the KardiaMobile 6L. Unlike its earlier product, which have 1-lead ECG, this one comes with a 6-lead ECG.Both 1-lead and 6-lead ECGs detect AFib, Bradycardia, Tachycardia and Normal heart rhythm. The difference between the two is that 1-lead ECG gives your doctor reliable heart health information whereas 6-lead ECG gives them more detailed information on the hearts condition as well as visibility to certain arrhythmias that may lead to cardiac diseases.The traditional clinical ECG uses 12-leads to fetch heart data. More the leads, the better the readings of the heart. KardiaBand consists of a specially designed lightweight silicone watch band with a square-shaped cutout and rounded edges that has a removable sensor module. It also has a metal and plastic sensor module.The ECG is done by pressing your thumb against the two electrodes with the KardiaMobile 6L facing you. Then there is another electrode that should be pressed to the bare skin of your left knee or left ankle.In about thirty seconds, you will get a complete reading. KardiaBand and larger KardiaMobile devices operate with the same frequency modulated ultrasonic audio tones to transfer data to a smartphone or smartwatch through a microphone. There is no need for pairing the devices.

Apple Watch Series 4 and 5

The Apple Watch has become an essential health guardian. Series 4 and Series 5 has come out with serious health features like FDA approved ECG sensor, fall detectors, irregular heart rate alerts and many more.To take a measurement, press your finger against the digital crown while wearing the watch. This creates a closed circuit between the digital crown and the sensor behind the watch. The built-in electrodes will then work to detect electrical impulses from the heart.In 30 seconds, a pulse is generated and you will get a full report. The app will give information on if your heart rhythm is normal or if there is a variation. It also creates a PDF report that you can forward to your doctor.

WIWE

WIWE is a clinical-grade ECG monitor. It is as small as a business card but thicker. You can carry it in your pocket or bag or even slip it into your wallet.The device offers a more detailed study of your heart including the analysis of irregularities in the ventricles. The accuracy has been proven to be 98.7%. It can also measure SpO2 and count your steps. The device, when tested, worked exactly as the company claimed.Investing in WIWE may be a wise decision and the device can be a life-saver if you have concerns on the health of your heart or if you already have a diagnosed condition.

Withings BPM Core

Withings Move ECG is available only in Europe currently. This is the first analogue watch ever made that is capable of recording an ECG.Move ECG is the most feature-packed hybrid model in the market. This watch can track steps, calories, pace, distance, workout routines, sleep, heart rate and even the steps climbed. This device has three electrodes, two of which are inside the watch body and the third one is on the stainless steel bezel.The reading is taken when the user touches and holds both sides of the bezel for 30 seconds. The information is then updated to the Health Mate app which will then produce a detailed graph of the heart rate and ECG readings.

Omron Complete

Omron Complete is an upper arm blood pressure monitor that allows you to measure your ECG readings, and the result can be shared with your doctor.This device can give you a complete picture of your hearts health. To take ECG readings, you have to press the electrodes located at the top and both sides of the monitor. The device was developed in partnership with AliveCor.Omron Complete uses a new algorithm developed by AliveCor which has greater precision in detecting the possibility of AFib.

Hexoskin Smart Shirts

Hexoskin has a line of smart shirts that can monitor your activity, fitness, cardiac and respiratory health, and your sleep. These smart shirts include ECG, heart rate recovery, QRS events and heartbeat monitors. It also has Heart Rate Variability (HRV) that allows assessment of your stress, effort, load and fatigue. It can also keep a tab on your breathing rate(RPM).A small device that fits into the shirt pouch captures data in real-time. It then sends the data via Bluetooth to a smartphone app which gives you various insights. The device has a long battery life of up to one and a half to two days.Hexoskin Smart is compatible with iOS and Android, as well as with the Apple Health App, Apple Watch, and Wear OS. The data can be synced with even third-party apps like Strava, RunKeeper and Endomondo. The garments are available for men, women and kids.The shirt is Machine washable, high-performance Italian fabric which is quick-dry, breathable, lightweight, anti-odour, chlorine resistant and provides you with UV protection. You can pick between short and long sleeve shirts. The Canadian based company says that its products are chosen by space agencies, military organizations, and professional sports teams around the world.

HeartBit

HeartBit is a wearable device that assesses heart stress and uses this data to develop a personalised fitness plan. The company is using the IBM cloud to deploy the product quickly and cost-effectively. Once a person has been using HeartBit for some time, enough data will be collected to create a personalized training regimen.We also combine ECG readings with weather data to suggest workouts that maximize users potential without stressing their hearts, writes George Kozmann, CEO of Heartbeat in his article. To use HeartBit, you need to slip a device into a special training top made of high-quality moisture-control fabric.It then does real-time heart monitoring by measuring electrical signals produced by your heart with great accuracy. HeartBit essentially acts like a 3-lead, 5-sensor ECG monitor that can detect signs of arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation, and ischemia.It also warns you of potential variations. It monitors your heart activity and offers tailored training suggestions. HeartBit takes measurements at a frequency of 2,000 Hz per electrode, which means it can fetch 10,000 data points per second.The start-up company from Budapest has teamed up with IBM to realise this ECG monitor. The device is still in the works and we have no details on final pricing or launch date. You can register, though, on the companys website for updates on the progress

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