On February 10, 2014 AliveCor, Inc. announced that its heavily validated personal mobile ECG monitor had received FDA over-the counter clearance. Previously the device, which allows recording of a single-lead ECG and, in conjunction with a free smart-phone app, can diagnose atrial fibrillation was only available by prescription. Since 2013, I have been successfully using [...]
Update On The Kardia Band Apple Watch Accessory: Accuracy In Atrial Fibrillation Pre and Post Cardioversion
As I described here, the Kardia Band (KB) is an FDA-approved Apple Watch accessory available to the general public without a prescription which records a high quality single-lead ECG. I've been using mine now for a while and can confirm the ease and accuracy of the ECG recordings it makes. I find recordings made with [...]
Is It Safe To Consume Grapefruit If You Take The Blood Thinner Apixiban (Eliquis)?
A patient of mine with atrial fibrillation taking the blood thinner eliquis told me that she had eaten grapefruit for two days in a row and then developed a nose bleed. She had heard of the interaction between grapefruit and certain medications and wondered if this had caused her nose bleed. I was unaware of [...]
Why I Favor The Early Restoration and Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm In Most Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
When your heart stops beating synchronously and goes into atrial fibrillation all sorts of bad things begin happening. The normal mechanisms for controlling how fast your heart is beating are lost and in most individuals the rate accelerates inappropriately. The strength of the atria's pumping force and the normal precise synchronization of the upper and [...]
AliveCor Mobile ECG : Ways To Minimize Low Voltage and Unclassified Recordings
Sometimes AliveCor's Mobile ECG device yields unclassified interpretations of recordings. Understandably if you want to know whether your rhythm is normal or atrial fibrillation, the unclassified classification can be very frustrating. There are various caues of an unclassified tracing with different solutions. Some unclassified recordings are due to a heart rate over 100 BPM or [...]
Can AliveCor’s Mobile ECG Device Combined With Its Kardia Pro Cloud-Based Platform Replace Standard Long Term Rhythm Monitors?
In March of 2017 AliveCor introduced Kardia Pro, a cloud-based software platform that allows physicians to monitor patients who use the Kardia mobile ECG device. I have been utilizing the Kardia mobile ECG device since 2013 with many of my atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and have found it be very useful as a personal intermittent [...]
Kardia’s Fascinating SmartRhythm For Apple Watch Is Very Cool: Will It Allow Personal Atrial Fibrillation Detection?
The KardiaBand for Apple Watch from AliveCor has delivered on its unique promise of a medical grade single lead ECG recording made by placing your thumb on your wristwatch band. The ECG recordings are equivalent in quality to those made by their previously available KardiaMobile (see my prior post here.) After more experience with the [...]
Review of Kardia Band Mobile ECG for Apple Watch
The skeptical cardiologist has been evaluating the Kardia Band from AliveCor which allows one to record single lead medical grade ECGS on your Apple Watch. What follows is my initial experience with setting up the device and using it to make recordings. After ordering my Kardia Band for Apple Watch on 11/30 from AliveCor the [...]
AliveCor’s Kardia Band Is Now Available: Mobile ECG On Your Apple Watch
AliveCor has finally gotten approval from the FDA to release its Kardia Band in the United States. The skeptical cardiologist is quite excited to get his hands (or wrist) on one and just gave AliveCor $199 to get it. The device incorporates a mobile ECG sensor into a wrist band that works with either 42 [...]
Blood Thinners (Oral Anticoagulants) For Atrial Fibrillation: Who Should Take Them and Which One To Take
The most serious adverse consequence of having atrial fibrillation is stroke. Since we have safe and effective ways of preventing afib-related stroke with oral anticoagulant drugs (blood thinners), a major decision for the newly diagnosed patient with atrial fibrillation is "should I take a blood thinner?" To answer this question the afibber should engage in [...]
