FDA approves Fitbit AFib detection algorithm

Fitbit on April 11 received FDA clearance for its new photoplethysmography algorithm to identify atrial fibrillation. Here are three things to know:

1. The algorithm can passively assess users' heart rhythms, including while users are still or asleep, according to a news release.
   
   
2. The algorithm will power Fitbit's new feature for irregular heart rhythm notifications.
   
   
3. The clinical validation for the algorithm is supported by data from the Fitbit Heart Study, launched in 2020. The study found that the algorithm correctly identified AFib episodes 98 percent of the time, the release said.