When a manufacturer wants to implement a health-related feature in the United States, they need approval from the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. In 2020, Fitbit was able to launch a function to identify a heart rhythm disorder that significantly increases the risk of stroke. This electrocardiogram application is able, on user request only, to detect and correctly identify atrial fibrillation in 98% of cases. It is a special type of irregularity in heart rhythm that increases the risk of heart attack, blood clots, stroke and other heart diseases.
Monitor in the background
Until now, the function was only available with manual user action. With the agreement of the FDA, Fitbit will be able to push the monitoring in the background and therefore allow users to be warned in the event of a risk of stroke, in the manner of what Apple offers with its connected watch.
The brand’s hope is to enable monitoring of heart health by ensuring that factors that increase the risk of fatal strokes are detected as early as possible. Obviously, the device is not capable of issuing a diagnosis, its role is limited to triggering an alert when an irregularity is detected in order to be able to consult a health professional quickly. Fitbit said the feature will be available in the US “soon”.