PETALING JAYA: Marketing executive Jac Lim is a 38-year-old fitness freak who works out regularly at a gym.
One day, her smartwatch sent her a message that shocked her.
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The watch’s sensors detected an “irregular heart rhythm”, a possible symptom of a cardiac episode. An hour later, Lim was at a cardiologist’s clinic – but it was a flase alarm.
With health consciousness trending and smartwatches having features that monitor heart health, more patients like Lim are showing up at their doctor’s room concerned about signals their devices pick up.
Occasional palpitations or missed beats are common even among healthy individuals and can occur during emotional situations, after exercise, during pregnancy, and from consuming caffeine or nicotine use, says consultant electrophysiologist Dr Sathvinder Singh Gian Singh (pic).
Smartwatches, he said, can be a double-edged sword as they cause undue concern when they detect irregular pulses, which are no health threat.
“Missed heartbeats occur when there is a misfire in the heart’s electrical system. While these wearable devices have helped detect more arrhythmias early, it is also making some people monitor themselves obsessively.
“Not every alert means danger. Sometimes what the smartwatch picks up is just a skipped beat from the effects of caffeine or nicotine. These are usually benign. Some people treat every missed beat as a crisis.
“The wisest thing to do is to be assessed by a doctor to rule out arrhythmias that could be life-threatening,” he said.
Palpitations that persist or are accompanied by shortness of breath, chest tightness or fainting should never be ignored, he said.
“That is when you must see a doctor immediately or head to the nearest emergency room. Smartwatches have become useful diagnostic tools when patients bring ECG tracings captured during an episode but interpretations of the reading should always be left to a healthcare professional.
“Use them as a guide, not a diagnosis,” he said.
Sathvinder, an intervention cardiologist, said that while smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol remain the main culprits behind heart disease, there is a growing trend of stress-related issues as well.
“There is a rise in stress due to workplace pressure and modern lifestyles. When this is combined with poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation, it starts affecting the heart’s electrical system,” he said.
Interventional cardiologists are the “heart plumbers” who treat and unclog blocked arteries, while electrophysiologists are “cardio-electricians” who specialise in fixing heart rhythm disorders.
Sathvinder said sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep is a major but often overlooked trigger of atrial fibrillation, a common form of irregular heartbeat that can be life-threatening if left untreated.
“Alcohol consumption is a known trigger of atrial fibrillation and can lead to strokes and heart failure.”
He said the heart’s health also mirrors the body’s overall condition as infections such as Covid-19 can also set off cardiac rhythm disturbances.
Sathvinder Singh said those with existing heart disease, hypertension, heart failure or older adults are at higher risk of arrhythmias and should always seek medical attention if symptoms appear.
“Some arrhythmias can strike without warning and can be deadly especially in those who have underlying heart diseases such as cardiomyopathy or ischemic heart diseases.
“In such cases, immediate medical attention should be sought or access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) can make a difference in the survival of the person,” he said.