How Smartwatches and Wearable Devices Help Detect AFib Early
October 28, 2026
The worst time to get a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib) is after this common heart rhythm disorder has led to a stroke.
Fortunately, an ever-growing number of devices — including something as small as a smartwatch — are available for patients and doctors to detect AFib early so it can be treated. These tools also provide valuable data for doctors after treatment, said Alexander Turin, MD, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist with Trinity Health Medical Group, Cardiology – Muskegon.
The expanding availability of these devices in recent years might already be contributing to stroke prevention, he said, noting a growing number of patients who report having periods of AFib.
“I think we're detecting more of it because these devices are more widespread,” Dr. Turin said. “Which is a really nice thing for the population at large, because we're seeing fewer people come in with stroke as their initial presentation.”
Knowing the percentage of time a patient is in AFib is critical information for cardiac electrophysiologists. This can indicate if a procedure such as ablation is necessary, or if a prior procedure remains effective.
Read: How Ablation Is Improving AFib Treatment and Patient Outcomes
Doctors are concerned about AFib because it can lead to serious health risks, quintupling the risk of stroke and doubling the risk of death. AFib also can contribute to heart failure by overworking the heart muscle.
A Monitoring Evolution
In the past, patients with heart rhythm disorders would be given large, bulky monitors carried in a pack. “Those were clunky, not favored among patients.” Dr. Turin said.
Those eventually were replaced with small sticker devices with a button that patients could push when they noticed something odd about their heart rate, generating a report for the doctor. These devices can collect two weeks of data and be mailed back to the provider. They are easy for patients to use.
“It’s a lovely approach,” Dr. Turin said.
“But it’s not a lovely long-term approach. Wearing monitors multiple times a year can be both cumbersome and expensive.”
About five years ago, another option appeared. The smartwatch, one of the first devices to offer widespread availability of heart rhythm monitoring, joins an array of consumer products to track the heart data that doctors need. Each has advantages and disadvantages:
Smartwatches: Multiple companies now offer watches with the ability to reasonably detect AFib, Dr. Turin said.
“Is it perfect? Far from it, but it’s not bad. Most of the higher-end watches will give data I want most, which is a percentage of time in AFib. They also have the ability to generate a 30-second EKG strip, which is useful.”
The challenges, he said, are that patients have to investigate features, the price can be significant, and some technological knowledge will be necessary.
Small standalone readers connected to a smart phone: These generally are more affordable than smartwatches. They also can be helpful for people with infrequent arrythmia, Dr. Turin said. When patients notice something wrong, they place two fingers on a small strip to get a single-lead EKG. A six-lead version reads from two fingers and an ankle.
“It only gives you data when you’re using it. So, unlike watches, it does not give you long-term, real-time monitoring,” he said. “But it’s really helpful because you’ll get cross-sectional data.”
Blood-pressure cuffs: Some electronic blood-pressure cuffs have an AFib indicator to show when any kind of abnormal rhythm is detected. These are not highly accurate and not as valuable as real-time monitoring, Dr. Turin said.
“But I think it's better than nothing,” he said. “Most patients who have AFib will have an elevated heart rate when they are in AFib. And so if most of the time your pulse is 60 and then suddenly it’s 110, that's kind of a red flag. And so we can still use that data.”
Pulse oximeters, fingertip devices that check oxygen levels and pulse rates, perform a similar function.
Wearable heart rate monitors: These devices, often used by runners, belt across the chest and can record EKG data. These can be worn many hours of the day.
Detecting AFib is not the end of the story — because you’re more than your irregular heartbeat. There are a wide range of options that patients and doctors can discuss to keep AFib under control.
Trinity Health’s AFib specialists offer clear guidance and help you get back to living confidently. If you’ve experienced symptoms or suspect a problem with your heart rhythm, talk to your doctor or request an appointment.
Supporting the doctor-patient partnership
New devices and technologies are constantly arriving on the market, Dr. Turin said. That’s great news for patients and doctors alike. The patch monitors remain a useful tool, but not for the long run, which is where consumer devices make a difference.
“This is something that I talk about with every AFib patient,” he said. “If you have a patient who's very involved with their care and they come in and they can tell me with great confidence, ‘Look, I haven't had AFib and this is how I'm checking,’ we both know that we’re doing something meaningful.”
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