Google and Fitbit have received clearance in the U.S.

Apr 11, 2022 22:10 GMT  ·  By

Fitbit and parent company Google have recently announced that the United States has offered the go-ahead for their devices to automatically detect irregular AFib heart rhythms by running checks in the background.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Fitbit’s new algorithm, which means the company’s devices will soon be able to check for signs of AFib automatically without any input from the user.

At this point, users themselves can already perform such checks manually using the ECG app that’s available on select Fitbit devices, such as the Sense and the Charge 5, but thanks to the new algorithm, both trackers will be able to do the whole thing on their own in the background.

“Our new PPG AFib algorithm can passively assess your heart rhythm in the background while you’re still or asleep. If there’s anything that might be suggestive of AFib, you’ll be notified through our Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature — allowing you to talk with your healthcare provider or seek further assessment to help prevent a significant medical event, such as stroke,” Google says.

Launching for users later this year

At this point, it’s not yet clear when the feature is supposed to go live for users out there and what Fitbit devices would end up sporting them. However, there’s a good chance both the Sense and the Charge 5 would be updated with the automatic checks.

“The Fitbit PPG-based algorithm and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature will soon be available to consumers in the U.S. across a range of heart-rate enabled devices. We want to make AFib detection as accessible as possible to help reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening events — like stroke — and ultimately improve overall heart health for everyone,” Google explained.

Needless to say, before the same feature can launch in other markets, it also requires clearance from local authorities.