The heart of the matter: Garmin Expands ECG to Fenix 7 Pro, Epix Pro & Venu 3
Garmin is expanding its ECG monitoring feature to a broader range of its smartwatches, making heart health more accessible than ever. While not a substitute for a doctor’s visit, this feature offers a quick check-up for your ticker, right from your wrist.
The beat goes on: Garmin ECG update
Garmin is giving your wrist a new reason to be excited—well, not too excited, we’re talking about heart health after all. The ECG app, once an exclusive club for the Garmin Venu 2 Plus, is now extending its VIP list to include the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro, Epix Pro (Gen 2), and Venu 3 models. If you have one of those and live in the US, there is reason to celebrate.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
In a world where social media platforms change names faster than you can say “atrial fibrillation,” Garmin took to X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) to spill the beans.
The ECG app performs a 30-second scan of your pulse, fishing for any irregularities that might hint at atrial fibrillation. Now, let’s be clear: your Garmin watch isn’t a certified medical device. It won’t diagnose or treat you, but it can certainly give you some food for thought when you next chat with your healthcare provider.
How to: ECG on your Garmin
Before you jump in, there are some house rules. The app is ageist—it doesn’t like anyone under 22. Also, don’t even think about using it while you’re pumping iron or taking a deep dive in the pool. And if you’re planning to use it near a nuclear reactor, just don’t—the app has a thing about strong electromagnetic fields.
Getting started is as easy as pie. Make sure your watch is snug but not a wrist-choker, open the app, and follow the on-screen cues. Rest your arm on a table and touch the watch’s bezel with your thumb and forefinger. A half-minute later, you’ll have your results displayed in the language of heartbeats. That’s all there is to it – check out our full guide.
The app speaks in four dialects. The first is sinus rhythm which means all is well. The others include: heart rate too high or too low (you’re out of bounds), inconclusive (you fidgeted, didn’t you?), and atrial fibrillation (time to call the doc).
The waiting game
Garmin was playing coy about this feature, especially considering these watches come with the latest Elevate 5 heart rate sensor. It seems the company was waiting for the FDA’s nod of approval. As for availability, the ECG feature is currently a VIP service in the US, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. No joy yet for those in the EU. Unless they decide to hack their way through…
The ECG feature works similarly across all the newly updated Garmin devices, offering a consistent user experience. It’s a 30-second commitment that could offer a lifetime of insights.
Given Garmin’s track record, it’s likely that we’ll see this feature rolled out to other territories once regulatory hurdles are cleared. It’s a small step in making heart health monitoring more ubiquitous, but a significant one nonetheless.
Now we’re waiting for the skin temperature feature to be activated. Rumours are watches with the Elevate 5 sensors are capable of performing that task. And it would be nice if the nap tracking and Sleep Coaching features from Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 land on other Garmin watches. We have our fingers crossed.
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