Has your smartwatch flagged an irregular heartbeat? When reviewed by a doctor, a smartwatch ECG detects arrhythmias quickly, easily and very reliably. Send us your recording via our app and you will receive an assessment within 24 hours.
Prof. Dr. Jakob Ledwoch · New at our practice · 15 September 2026
What can a smartwatch ECG do?
Many smartwatches can record a single-lead ECG: you rest a finger on the watch for about 30 seconds, and it measures the electrical activity of your heart.
- Quick and easy: You can record an ECG anytime and anywhere, at the very moment you notice symptoms.
- Well suited to arrhythmias: Atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias can be detected reliably, especially when a cardiologist reviews the recording.
- For other questions, such as reduced blood flow to the heart or a heart attack, it does not replace a 12-lead ECG at the practice.
With a doctor’s review, the heart rhythm can be reliably determined in 99% of recordings.
- Without a doctor’s review: In studies, the watch’s automated analysis detected atrial fibrillation in 85 to 88% of affected patients. However, the watch classified 10 to 26% of recordings as “inconclusive”.
- With a doctor’s review: Cardiologists were able to determine the rhythm in 99% of smartwatch ECGs, including recordings the watch had reported as inconclusive.
Untreated atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke about fivefold.
- Blood clots can form in the atrium of the heart and travel to the brain.
- Anticoagulant medication lowers this risk significantly.
- Many people notice palpitations, a racing heart or reduced exercise capacity, while some feel nothing at all.
Learn more about arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation.
How the review works
- Record: Record an ECG with your smartwatch when you have symptoms or at intervals agreed with your doctor.
- Send: Send the recording securely to our practice via our app.
- Assessment: Within 24 hours you will receive a cardiologist’s assessment, without having to come in for every recording.
Important: If you have acute symptoms such as sudden chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or fainting, call the emergency number 112 immediately.
Who this service is for
Smartwatch ECG review complements our diagnostics for heart rhythm disorders.
Suitable for:
- Palpitations or a racing heart
- Suspected atrial fibrillation
- Follow-up after ablation or cardioversion
- Stroke of previously unknown cause
If your heart rhythm needs to be recorded continuously over several days, a wireless long-term ECG is often the better choice.
Sources: Mannhart D et al. Clinical Validation of 5 Direct-to-Consumer Wearable Smart Devices to Detect Atrial Fibrillation (BASEL Wearable Study). JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2023. Abu-Alrub S et al. Smartwatch Electrocardiograms for Automated and Manual Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022.
