This Watch Could Be an Option for Early Detection Aids for Heart Rhythm Disorders

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Arrhythmia Association (PERITMI) said that health monitoring support devices such as smart watches can be an option for early detection aids for heart rhythm disorders or arrhythmias, which appear to be non-permanent and often do not have symptoms.

At the Pulse Day 2026 press conference at the Harapan Kita Heart and Vascular Hospital, Jakarta, Friday, February 13, PERITMI member dr. Ardian Rizal, Sp.JP(K), FIHA said that the arrhythmia is transient, so it is not always detected in a short cardiac recording examination at a health facility.

"The problem of arrhythmia diagnosis often comes and goes. When examined it can be normal, even though at other times there are dangerous rhythm disorders," said the consultant arrhythmia specialist in cardiology and vascular surgery, quoted by Antara.

He said that cardiac monitoring at health clinics generally only records the electrical activity of the heart for a short time, not enough to capture cardiac rhythm disturbances that appear at any time.

The disturbance can be detected in 24-hour heart monitoring, but such examinations are not widely available and are not always practical for mass screening.

According to dr. Ardian, smart watches equipped with heart rate monitoring features can be an option for early detection of arrhythmia.

With the support of blood flow and heart rate monitoring sensors, the device can record heartbeats continuously while in use.

"This device is sensitive enough as an initial screening for arrhythmia. Continuous recording data helps capture events that do not appear during a short examination," said dr. Ardian.

According to him, smartwatches have been recommended as an aid to early detection of cardiac arrhythmia in clinical guidelines.

However, the results of monitoring using smart watches still need to be confirmed with further medical examinations for the establishment of diagnosis and determination of therapy.