September 8, 2025
Invoice B. used the Garmin ECG app1 on his Garmin smartwatch to examine for indicators of AFib. His daughter says it “saved his life.”
The primary signal that one thing was flawed got here when Invoice B. went to mattress early across the holidays. What began as exhaustion escalated.
Invoice’s daughter Emily2 seen he regarded pale. His face was puffy. He misplaced his breath strolling to the toilet and slept sitting up as a result of it felt like he couldn’t breathe. And he stored saying it felt like his coronary heart was fluttering.
Over the subsequent 4 months, docs repeatedly restarted Invoice’s coronary heart earlier than he finally had open coronary heart surgical procedure. Emily credit a Garmin smartwatch — and the Garmin ECG app — with serving to her retired dad know he wanted to hunt medical care.
“It saved his life,” Emily stated.
How the ECG app made the distinction
When Invoice uncharacteristically determined to fall asleep early after Christmas dinner, he blamed it on his latest journey. After he couldn’t have fun the New Yr, Emily, a hospital nurse and volunteer firefighter, checked his coronary heart price along with her personal stethoscope and realized it was increased than typical. She thought he might need COVID, however he examined detrimental. Invoice thought he had the flu and instructed her he wasn’t going to the physician. Emily couldn’t inform what was flawed however knew her “cussed” dad wanted assist.
Per week later, he wasn’t higher however nonetheless didn’t need to go to the hospital. Emily had by no means seen her dad that sick and was beginning to get involved. A pal advisable her dad use a Garmin Venu® 2 Plus smartwatch to see if it could assist persuade her dad he wanted medical care.
It did.
Invoice used the Garmin ECG app3, which makes use of sensors on a suitable Garmin smartwatch to document {the electrical} alerts that management how your coronary heart beats. This recording is called an electrocardiogram — or ECG. The app analyzed the recording to calculate his coronary heart price and detected indicators of an irregular coronary heart rhythm referred to as atrial fibrillation (AFib), which happens when the higher and decrease chambers of the guts should not beating in sync.
Invoice and Emily took the ECG recording straight to the hospital. His docs agreed with the ECG app outcomes and carried out an echocardiogram. The docs instructed them Invoice had AFib, Emily stated, and that the Garmin ECG app might have helped save his life as a result of it satisfied him to hunt care.
Over the subsequent few months, Invoice was out and in of the hospital earlier than he finally had open-heart surgical procedure. Now, he’s again to having fun with his life whereas scuba diving, operating, fishing and touring. He feels higher than ever.
“This watch (and the ECG app) helped him,” Emily stated. “I need everyone in my household to get a Garmin.”
Need to get the ECG app? Browse suitable Garmin smartwatches and discover the one which matches your wants.
1The ECG app is barely out there on choose Garmin smartwatches with the most recent model of the Garmin Join™ smartphone app and watch software program. The ECG app isn’t out there in all areas; see Garmin.com/ecg for availability. The ECG app is barely meant for adults aged 22 years and over. The ECG app is able to recording an ECG much like a Lead I ECG and detecting the presence of atrial fibrillation or regular sinus rhythm.
2Emily obtained a reduction on a Forerunner® 970 smartwatch, which additionally gives the ECG app that she believed helped her father, to reward to him after taking part on this weblog
3The ECG knowledge displayed by the Garmin ECG app is meant for informational use solely. The consumer shouldn’t interpret or take medical motion primarily based on the system’s output with out session of a certified well being care skilled. The ECG waveform is supposed to complement rhythm classification for the needs of discriminating AFib from regular SR, and it isn’t meant to exchange conventional strategies of prognosis or remedy.