Fitbit is the latest brand to receive the green light for its Electrocardiogram (ECG) app in Australia. The Therapeutic Goods Administration approved Fitbit’s ECG app for use in Australia on August 26.
The ECG app is available now on the Fitbit Sense and is coming soon to the new Charge 5. It’s not recommended for use for anyone under 22 years of age.
The app allows your Fitbit watch to take an ECG reading which measures the electrical activity of your heart. This can assess whether a user has a normal sinus rhythm or atrial fibrillation (AFib), which occurs when the upper chambers of the heart contract irregularly and can lead to increased risk of heart issues.
The Fitbit ECG app uses the biosensor core of the Fitbit Sense and Charge 5, which simply requires users to place their fingers on the sensors to take a reading.
This data can then be generated into a report and shared with a user’s doctor.
It’s worth noting that a Fitbit can’t diagnose you with AFib and should you receive a concerning result it’s still best to discuss this with your doctor for further treatment.
You can learn more about Fitbit’s ECG app here.
Which other smartwatches have ECG capabilities?
ECG tests normally need to be taken by a medical professional but a number of smartwatch brands have brought these functions to users’ wrists, Fitbit being the latest.
Many new fitness trackers have been inbuilt with ECG capabilities upon release but they require approval from the TGA before they can be activated for use in Australia.
Withings’ latest ScanWatch was one of the first to receive ECG approval in Australia late last year.
Apple then followed in April, with the Apple Watches’ ECG features finally approved after years of waiting. Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch4 also received approval earlier this month.
Fitbit rounds out all the major fitness brands to have ECG capabilities cleared for use but with more advanced smartwatches being announced all the time, it’s unlikely to be the last.
The Fitbit Sense is on sale now and the Charge 5 is available for pre-order with a release date set for late September.