As many as 6.1 million people in the United States alone are affected by AFib. Since people are living longer, there has been a surge in the world’s aging population that has contributed to the rise of AFib around the globe. This condition is the most common abnormal heart rhythm seen in clinical practice.

Some arrhythmias are specifically associated with an increased risk of stroke, such as atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat very rapidly and erratically, and quiver or “fibrillate.” Other times people simply feel heart palpitations or dizziness. In some cases, it is associated with and/or causes symptoms such as fainting, passing out or feeling short of breath. Sometimes it’s slow and sometimes it’s fast. What Skipped, Slow, or Rapid Heart Beats May MeanĪ “cardiac arrhythmia” is an abnormal heart rhythm that typically develops when disease or injury disrupts the heart’s electrical signals, causing the heart to beat erratically. Let me preface the rest of my remarks by saying that when people detect skipped beats, rapid heart rates, slow heart rates, or other potential heart issues using their wearables, they should see a physician to learn what is causing their problem and whether it needs to be treated. In fact, the research firm CCS Insight reports that global sales of smart wearable devices are predicted to double between 20 to 233 million units. Walkers, runners, cyclists, swimmers, and people who simply want to track or improve their level of fitness increasingly use wearable devices, including those that monitor heart rhythm. The devices can connect to the internet for data reporting. Many contain smart sensors that can record both heart rate and rhythm. Wearable heart rhythm monitoring devices are typically worn on the wrist or on a chest strap. There’s an old saying: “I didn’t skip a beat.” But sometimes, we do.Īs more and more people are using commercially available wearable rhythm monitoring devices to track their health, many discover that they sometimes have an irregular, slow or very fast heart rate.

Wearable heart monitor