Smart watch battle: Google intensifies rivalry with Apple with FDA algorithm OK

By Tim Hardwick, MacRumors

Fitbit owner Googlehas moved a step closer to rivaling the health features of Apple Watch after the FDA approved its new algorithm for continuously monitoring users’ heart rate rhythms.

Like Apple Watch, Fitbit devices with a heart-rate monitoring capability include an ECG app that must be manually run by the user to check for irregular rhythms, which can be a sign of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a potentially serious heart arrhythmia condition. AFib affects nearly 33.5 million people globally, and individuals with AFib have five times higher risk of stroke.

For several years, the Apple Watch has had one up on rival smartwatches by including an irregular rhythm notifications feature, which occasionally checks heart rhythm in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm is identified that could potentially be atrial fibrillation (AFib). Upon receiving a notification, users can then launch the ECG app and perform a more comprehensive 30-second test by placing their finger on the Digital Crown to generate an ECG waveform.

For more details, read the full story at MacRumors:

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/15/fitbit-to-gain-passive-afib-monitoring/