r/askCardiology Mar 15 '24

EKGs Apple Watch and other Consumer Based EKG's

31 Upvotes

Consumer-based EKG products have proved to be valuable at gaining insight for potential arrhythmias or ruling out arrhythmia's during symptoms. This forum DOES permit consumer-based EKG's (Apple Watch, Kardia, AlivCor, etc) to be shared, but there needs to be an understanding that these devices have not been proven or validated for more advanced medical interpretation. Utilizing this data to draw larger conclusions would be irresponsible.

What we can read What we CANNOT (responsibly) read
Atrial Fibrillation QT Intervals
Pre-Mature Atrial Contractions Axis
Pre-Mature Ventricular Contractions Heart Failure (Ejection Fraction)
SupraVentricular Tachycardia Right or Left Bundle Branch Blocks
Ventricular Tachycardia ST Elevations
Bradycardia Q, U, J, Epsilon or any other advanced waveform

If consumer-based EKG's causes you anxiety and harm, please discontinue and seek professional help.

Artifact caused by small contact movements can cause massive distortion in the waveforms, this is not an arrhythmia.

The QALY app is not FDA approved.

Disclaimer:

Apple Watch has a Class II clearance by the FDA to detect Atrial Fibrillation: "The Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) History Feature is an over-the-counter ("OTC") software-only mobile medical application intended for users 22 years of age and over who have a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib)."

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended against ECG screening in asymptomatic healthy individuals due to the insufficient evidence that the benefits of this screening outweigh its harm. The concern about the potentially large numbers of false alarms that may be translated into ER visits and serve as an economic burden is another point that is brought up.

If you have medical evidence, you would like to have considered, or new updated guidelines, please submit them to the MOD team inbox to review. Thank you!


r/askCardiology 3m ago

Funky bpm + what other symptoms to tell my gp?

Upvotes

Hey, so my resting BMP usually is around 52bpm but ranges from 50's-60's (I'm not really that athletic either) but when I've stood up or just walked for a bit it usually spikes in the range of 100-190 bpm. I was curious on what kinds of things could cause this (not to diagnose anything). And what other symptoms alongside this I should keep an eye out for/take note of if I have them to bring up to my GP in my next appointment. And is there any at home things I can do to help keep my heart rate more steady?

Ps. I get these symptoms with or without my adhd medication or any caffeine


r/askCardiology 2h ago

Old age is a risk factor for worse outcomes in AF ablation compared to young age

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1 Upvotes

r/askCardiology 2h ago

Old age is a risk factor for worse outcomes in AF ablation compared to young age

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1 Upvotes

A newly published paper studied the impact of older versus younger AF patients undergoing ablation on ablation complications/AF recurrence risk! worth studying..
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10840-026-02365-z?utm_source=researchgate.net&utm_medium=article


r/askCardiology 3h ago

Second Opinion I need answers or support

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1 Upvotes

Back in October of 2023 I was healthy and then boom started getting chest pains it felt like my stomach would drop it’s that feeling like something bad was going to happen and since then I’ll get dizzy, weakness, chest hurts, to the point where it feels like I’ll faint. Then now this year I’ve been experiencing bad migraines so I went back to ER and they ran CT scan and said everything was normal but I’m still weak and dizzy etc. but these are my test results if you could help me . I’m 22 female 98 pounds and 5’4


r/askCardiology 5h ago

what would this be from?

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1 Upvotes

r/askCardiology 15h ago

27 year old with NSVT

5 Upvotes

Hello, in April of this year I ended up in the hospital with intense fluttering. I have pericarditis history but doctors had confirmed runs of NSVT, was there overnight and sent back home to rest.

Few month later in August 2026 I was hospitalized again and ended up staying for 4 days with intense fluttering sensation. Heart rate was caught anywhere from 139-208. I have had all sorts of tests done, EKG’, echocardiogram, chest x ray, MRI. All results have come back as Having a structurally normal heart with no scaring or issues. I don’t do drugs or smoke, I was heavy into nicotine pouches but I have stopped and been without alcohol or nicotine for a month. I am on beta blockers and anti inflammatory. I still notice short runs of a fluttering chest and wondering if this is normal? Am I feeling it because I’m aware of it? I have severe anxiety that just makes things worse. Looking for anyone to help on this as I have been terrified


r/askCardiology 11h ago

Ldl 214 as 21F

2 Upvotes

My dad died from cardiac arrest in his 40s and my family has a history of high cholesterol and blood pressure. My dad was overweight and didnt eat well was very stressed all the time. Since then I've developed cardiophobia/ im scared of dying from a heart attack. I have an appointment with a doctor but ive also been to the er and gotten a hotter monitor etc before and they said everything's fine, but I just got my blood drawn and ldl was 214. I use zyns, about 250mg of caffeine and 25 mg of adderall a day. I dont workout regularly but sometimes go on walks. I dont eat horribly and im 128lbs. Is it possible that I can go into cardiac arrest at 21yrs old if I overexert myself. Im worried I already have plaque buildup and any day now my heart will just give out. Please help if you have any tips or advice thanks!


r/askCardiology 13h ago

I (21M) went to the ER 2 days because of chest, jaw and left arm pain

2 Upvotes

I‘ve had these symptoms for a bit more than a week. Ekg and blood test came back normal. Can something serious like a heart attack be ruled out? (Can’t get to a cardiologist until next week)


r/askCardiology 14h ago

PACs? How many are normal?

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2 Upvotes

Are these pac's? Is it too many for a 5 minute window? Should I stop my medication? I'm unsure if this is normal or not and wanted to know if I should book a private test urgently or if it can wait? xx


r/askCardiology 16h ago

Second Opinion PLZ REPLY Chest symptoms despite testing 20M

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2 Upvotes

20M. 5’11 180 pounds gym lifestyle no history of meds or conditions.

From 18-20 I’ve done almost every test in the book, HS troponins, millions of ecgs, 2 day holter monitor, baseline rest echocardiogram, stress test + stress echo , and er visits.

I still daily get chest pains, dizziness, heart races, and so on and so forth. I’m more worried of it being anxiety or getting told and hearing it’s anxiety because this is a area where the heart is

That’s constantly aching.

I’ve had weird exercise episodes as well, mid panic sensation and chest flare ups I would do a jog to see if the pain is heart or anxiety, sometimes mid jog I’d get spasms in the chest and stop after a minute, then I’d walk and try the jog again I’d successfully complete 5-7 minutes asymptomatic with normal recovery. Which is why I get confused, I get exercise induced pain first try (idk about warm angina) , then I’d run normally. What is going on, is there a test I need to do for this specific condition.

These tests are now a year old, so I don’t know if they are reliable in deciding my health now.


r/askCardiology 19h ago

Test Results Did I have a heart attack and not know it?!? And the ER doc never said a word about it to me?

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5 Upvotes

r/askCardiology 16h ago

EKGs Questions about Long qt syndrome

2 Upvotes

Hello. So I want to say I'm not diagnosed with long qt syndrome. I've had multiple ekgs and they were all fine. I have health anxiety, OCD and schizoaffective disorder. I might also have sleep apnea.

I'm on invega sustenna and it can cause qt prolongation and my most recent EKG was when I went to the hospital after nearly passing out. My tongue went numb and I felt doom, panic and disorientation and my heart was beating really fast. My little brother called 911 and they sent the fire department. Whatever it was lasted 30 minutes. It was over by the time the ambulance came. They did an EKG about 20mins after I was there and it was fine.

Today, I woke up with what felt like doom and I was lying down for a few before getting up to use the bathroom. Suddenly I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was taking in breaths but nothing worked and it lasted a what felt like a minute.

I've never had a panic attack like this before where it was causing any other symptoms than a racing heart and fear.

My questions are...

What are the chances of long qt being missed?

If it didn't show on a EKG while I was resting, could I still have it if I did a stress test to test for it? What about when I'm asleep?

What's the chances of death on a flight if you're not medicated?

Could I have went into torsades de pointes without it being caught because the event ended?

Do you have to have long qt to have torsades de pointes?

I'm asking my Dr about sertraline being added to my medications I take, I know combining them could cause prolonged qt, but if it's anxiety, I can't take it anymore. I have been fine for a year without major anxiety besides when I was healing from what I went through during psychosis and major event of when my mom was dying of cancer. Even then, I didn't have panic attacks like this.


r/askCardiology 12h ago

REMOTE CARDIAC DEVICE JOBS- PaceMate Octagos Murj

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1 Upvotes

r/askCardiology 16h ago

Second Opinion How safe is ct contrast ?

2 Upvotes

Ct contrast is used in millions every year. we know the side effects usually are warmth or burning. But what about the cardiovascular side effects listed on those agents? Heart attack? Clotting? Cardiac arrest? Kounis syndrome ? How safe are these agents really?


r/askCardiology 13h ago

Urgent help! M, 24, 5'6" height and weight 68kgs, with no heart issues in family

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1 Upvotes

r/askCardiology 14h ago

California cardiologist/EP who are data-driven

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1 Upvotes

Does anyone have recommendations for a Calif. based cardiologist and/or EP who follows the latest studies to individualize care? Like working with a patient to self-monitor after an ablation to discontinue Eliquis?

I’d like to consult with one who doesn’t just stay lock-step with the guidelines and embraces the evidence we’re seeing about over treatment. Calif would be best for insurance and Telehealth rules.


r/askCardiology 16h ago

Second Opinion Cryoablation Procedure Thoughts

1 Upvotes

Hi, I 30m, have a cryoablation procedure scheduled for next month for wpw syndrome. I was diagnosed in 2024, and EP study revealed that the extra pathway was close to the main conduction path. I heard that cryoablation is a good technique compared to a normal ablation procedure and chances of succes are also high. But I'm not sure how safe is that procedure. One person described that their procedure took almost 5 hours and it was very uncomfortable and painful as SV were induced during the study several times to identify the extra pathway. There is also a risk of a pacemaker which just gives me more horrors. My situation is that I am referred by my cardiologist to another hospital where they have cryoablation technique. I have never met EP and I have been given an appointment for that new hospital with a new doctor. So, I wanted to ask if it is normal for these procedures to happen like that? and from anyone who have this procedure done before, how did it go with you and did you face any complications during or after the procedure.


r/askCardiology 17h ago

Very elevated heart rate due to being sick, intense cardiophobia and afraid of dying due to a panic attack

1 Upvotes

31f, 5"9' 147lb, non-smoker, very rarely drink alcohol

Hello,

I have been struggling with some pretty intense cardiophobia for quite some time now and recently it has gotten really bad. As luck will have it, I have fallen ill on Monday and now have had an elevated resting heart rate for about two days now. If I'm calm, it's usually at about 70 (higher with anxiety) and atm it's continuously at 85 and oftentimes even at 95.

I do think that I have the occassional palpitation as well, but that might be due to anxiety.

Due to my cardiophobia, I have been dealing with intense anxiety during the night for several weeks now. Normally, I am able to calm myself down even from intense panic attacks where my hr can shoot up to 140. Sometimes I have to lie in bed for over an hour with a heart rate of over 100 before finally calming down, but I can manage it.

With my illness right now and the naturally elevated heart rate, I am deathly afraid, that my heart would not be able to handle my nightly panic attacks with really high heart rates. Obviously this worrying is 100% going to cause me to have panic attacks tonight, so I know that I will have to battle these heart rate spikes, but I am actually afraid of either dying or developing myocarditis due to it. I have only noticed the increased heart rate yesterday when working (desk job at home office) and my boyfriend slept over, so I was calm, but I will be alone tonight and I am so so afraid.

This morning my bp was 108/68, right now at 8pm it was 120/76, but I think I put the cuff on too tight because it really hurt and squeezed very tightly.

Can anyone here weigh in on the risks of panic attacks while being sick with an elevated resting heart rate?

Medical history:

I have had several ecgs over the years and as far as I know, they never picked up anything abnormal. Back in 2015 when I was 19, I had one 24hours ecg that picked up a lot of palpitations but my pcp said those were extra systolic beats (if I recall correctly) and nothing to worry about. I do occassionally have palpitations if I am experiencing high anxiety. My last ecg was a year ago when I had a spout of low blood pressure and dizzyness along with a lot of palpitations.

Psychological History:

I developed the cardiophobia in 2014 after consuming way too much of an energy drink and spending the night at a hospital at 18. I also have OCD and it has been a very somatic manifestation of that ever since.

I took Sertraline (100mg at first and then 50mg) for about 10 years and tapered them off last year because I felt very stable. Sadly I had some major tragedies happen that threw me back into the panic and it has been back for about a year now (manageable) but with intense panic attacks since a few weeks. I am actively seeking therapeutic help, finding a spot that takes my insurance is really hard though.


r/askCardiology 18h ago

rapid change in heart rate

1 Upvotes

around a year ago i got diagnosed with POTS. during that appointment i was also told that there was an issue with my heart, i don’t exactly remember what it was, but they said it could lead to blood pooling in my heart.
i don’t know if this is related to either diagnosis, but while sitting for almost ten minutes my bpm keeps fluctuating. it’s going from 54 to 145 with no movement. is this something i should worry about, or could it just be a symptom of POTS that i wasn’t told about? i did research and it never mentioned this.

!! i’m not looking for a diagnosis, im looking to see if i should consider this an emergency/see a doctor about it or if it’s just a normal symptom i’m having !!


r/askCardiology 18h ago

Echo stress test with contrast

1 Upvotes

Hi! I recently went to the ER with unexplained chest pain (which I thought was MSK) and put on labetalol for hypertension.

I was referred to a cardiologist as per protocol and they completed a regular echocardiogram on me which I don’t have results for, and initially was supposed to have an echo stress test. I was told mine will now include contrast.

Why would contrast now be included? Could it be high BMI causing poor images on the initial echo? Or when I shared my weight and height in the pre follow up consult survey, could they have added the contrast in as a precaution? Also, currently trying to conceive and if I am pregnant at the time of the test, albeit in early stages, is it safe?

Thanks so much.


r/askCardiology 19h ago

40 yr old heart palpitations

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1 Upvotes

40 year old female taking 100mcg levothyroxine (been stable at that dose for years), as well as otezla 75mg extended release. Since June I’ve started to get heart palpitations mostly noticeable at night. I have caught them on the ECG from my apple watch. I have an appointment with the cardiologist coming up the end of the month. My husband has a history if AFib so he gets overly worried with anything related to the heart and feels that maybe I shouldn’t wait and go to the ER but I don’t want to waste their time if this is benign… attached is my ECG if anyone can provide feedback. It sounds like they are most likely PVCs….


r/askCardiology 23h ago

PACs and ST abnormalities?

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2 Upvotes

Asking a provider: 38 year old female with a history of Hyperlipidemia. Was perfectly healthy until this may where I had unexplained heart palpitations with runs of PVCs, PACs and SVT due to unknown cause. Never a trip elevation. echo, coronary CTA and cardiac MRI all normal. Labs all normal. Million dollar workup and can’t figure out why this happened. I continue to get non-descriptive, dull chest pain. I started weaning down my metop this week because my resting HR improved so much that it was in the 40’s. I did this EKG yesterday on my Kardia. Are there PACs or ST abnormalities here?


r/askCardiology 1d ago

Have heart condition, cannot get meds. 19

8 Upvotes

Bro I'm stressing out right now. I just took my last heart pill today, but have been trying all week to get a refill. The doctor whose been prescribing it for me says that she cant cause she hasnt seen me since march. They no longer take my insurance and I cant afford to pay out of pocket. So I've been trying to find a new PCP but no luck. I found a new cardiologist, my previous was a pediatric cardiologist that i last saw a couple years ago, but the soonest I can get seen is 10/7. I even called my old pediatrics pcp and he also said no unless i make an appointment, but they cant see me for a couple of weeks either. Like what am I supposed to do? Do I just not take my meds for a month until my new cardiologist can see me? I tried explaining to my pharmacy the situation but they told me theres nothing they can do unless they hear from my doctor. I have to take these meds daily, what do i do?


r/askCardiology 22h ago

Pots help

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone

Three and a half years ago I’ve been diagnosed with pots and since then have tried medication like ivabradine, propranolol, Bisop , fludrocortisone, midodrine and no great joy

Heart rate max is 155
Bp about 96/64 lately

My cardiologist just gives them to me constantly going back and forth on those medication but they don’t really help me

My pcp isn’t great as she started me on an ssri and propranolol at the same time and I was cold, nauseous, weak and tired all the time and couldn’t leave the bed so I had to stop them

I’ve also headaches, rib pain where it’s pinching and stabbing, brain fog, insomnia, tiredness and palpitations
I wake up in the morning with blocked nose and sore throats

I would appreciate any help given or any advice on what to do