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.
For people with intermittent palpitations (an awareness of a strong, rapid, or irregular heartbeat), using this device enables them to check their heart's rhythm immediately. This often provides peace of mind, as most palpitations are brief and harmless. Some doctors recommend mobile ECG devices for people with paroxysmal afib, which occurs only occasionally. If more frequent afib is detected, treatments such as medications to reduce clotting and control the heart rate may be warranted. Mobile ECGs can also pick up supraventricular tachycardia (see "When the heart suddenly starts racing" in the June 2024 Heart Letter).
Photo courtesy of AliveCor
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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