Pacemaker/Heart rate monitor interference

I recently purchased a Garmin 305 GPS and am having real difficulty getting the heart rate monitor to accurately record my actual heart rate; I've tried moving the monitor around to the back of my chest and even turning it upside down. I haven't tried using an electrolyte type of gel .... possibly I need to improve skin contact. I'm a runner and even after running a few miles it still is not too reliable. Previously I had a polar monitor and it had the same problem after my medtronics pacemaker was installed.
It would seem that the pacemaker signal is interfering with the heart rate monitor. My pacemaker is designed to keep my heart rate from dropping below 50 bpm.
Any suggestions on what I might do to get accurate and consistent heart rate readings would be appreciated.

Bob

18 Comments

no luck here

by Tracey_E - 2010-03-05 06:03:04

It's not the skin contact, it's the pm. I've never had any luck getting a hrm to work for me either, other than the kind that measures it from your finger and they're too clunky to work out with. After I went through everything they had at Sports Authority, Sportsmans Warehouse, REI, Cabelas and two high end running stores, I gave up my search. So far there isn't a hrm technology out there that works with my device. If I want to know, I stop and take my pulse :o) I only do that if I feel bad, if I feel good I assume my rate's fine and keep going.

Other people have the opposite problem, the monitor picks up beats as well as pm spikes so it's always too fast. There are a few people here who've successfully used hrm's to work out, but not many! It all depends on the type of pm you have.

Polar F5 with T-31 strap works fine for me

by COBradyBunch - 2010-03-05 12:03:51

I use mine just about every day for workouts and other than an occassional HR showing in the 200's for very short periods of time I have never had a problem. I have a BoSci pacer for brady and my low end is set at 50 and my high is basically turned off since I don't have issues on that end but have SSS which was causing heart naps where I would flatline for several seconds and wake up on the floor.

One note, I am not pacing often (less than 1% last time I was checked) so that might be the difference. Mine is there more as failsafe to prevent passing out (and possible sudden death if my heart didn't wake up from its nap) than anything else so my pacer isn't sending signals often that would cause issues with the HRM. I have also heard of some new technology that doesn't require a chest strap that might work for some people but haven't researched it myself.

Last from Medtronic

by FirstDuely - 2010-03-06 01:03:03

Dear Mr. Norgan,

Thank you for contacting Medtronic Patient Services with your question regarding heart rate monitors.

A heart rate monitor has a very low risk of interfering with your heart device since the monitor chest band transmits very low level magnetic pulses to the wristband. If your heart device is not delivering pacing
pulses at the same time the heart rate monitor is collecting your heart rate, the heart rate monitor will function normally.

One alternative to the chest band heart monitor is a portable fingertip or earlobe monitor that uses a light source to monitor the heart rate. The infrared sensor detects tiny changes in infrared light due to the
pulsing of the blood with each heart beat. The fingertip or earlobe monitor does not transmit any magnetic pulses. This type of monitor may provide more accurate readings for you while cycling.

I encourage you to visit our website to learn more about your heart device and electromagnetic interference (EMI) at:

www.medtronic.com/brady/patient/emi.html

and

www.medtronic.com/rhythms which includes educational EMI articles in the
"Rhythms of Life" patient newsletter.

We appreciate the opportunity to help you. If we can be of further assistance, please contact us again. Our toll free telephone number is (800) 551-5544 x41835. We are available Monday through Friday from 7
a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time.

Regards,
Norah Oehmke - CRDM Patient Services
Medtronic, Inc.

2nd answer from another person at Sigma Sports

by FirstDuely - 2010-03-06 01:03:50

Dear Gary,
Your question is not an easy one with a cut and dry response. What you have heard about HRMs is indeed true in relation to functioning in conjunction with a pacemaker.
Individuals who have had heart surgery, including the placement of a stent, or who have even just an irregular heart beat will often times not be able to use a sports based HRM in the traditional ways. Any
alteration to the heart or to the immediately surrounding vessels creates an unnatural flow of blood or alters the natural electrical activity of the heart, making a heart rate monitor unable to detect a
signal.
Because a pacemaker itself is an electronic device, it could possibly, although not likely, use the same frequency as our HRM, thus creating an interference that would cause the HRM not to function properly.

What I can tell you is that our ROX computer works on a 112 kHz frequency. With this information, you can check with your pacemaker manufacturer or your cardiologist to see if there would be a problem
between our device and theirs.

Two important things to consider:
1. our devices are designed to work on the average person with a healthy heart. They are tested to provide readings just as accurate as an EKG, but even an EKG can give false readings. I would suggest
that you try the device in conjunction with an EKG or in the presence of your cardiologist to ensure that you are getting the correct data.
2. If you decide to purchase a device (SIGMA or any other brand) and find that you are unable to pick up a signal, you may want to try the chest belt on another location on your body. Even though the activity
within the heart is generating an unusual blood flow, it does not always mean that your blood flow is not more "normal" in other areas of your body. In order for your chest strap to work properly, you need a signal from the left side and right side of your body. Therefore the readings would be no less accurate if you were to try the chest strap "backwards", ie. wear it on your back!

I am sorry that I cannot provide you with a better answer than this.

Best regards,

One answer I got from Sigma Sports

by FirstDuely - 2010-03-06 01:03:53

"All of our heart rate monitors use an ECG transmission. The ECG type that use the electrical signal of the heart have a tendency to intermittently count both the ventricular contraction wave and the pacemaker spike that triggered it. If your pacer is providing arterial pacing as well there will be 2 pacer spikes per heart beat. This can result in readings as high as triple the actual heart rate or the monitor detects something is wrong and quits displaying a reading.
Also, our heart rate monitors are categorized as sport devices not medical devices. There may be cases where the heart rate monitors work okay, but the majority of the time there are interference issues that cause irregular readings. I suggest speaking with your cardiologist to see if there are options available to you for your pacemaker. "

....there were more answers to come :)

Pacemaker effect on HR monitor

by ElectricFrank - 2010-03-06 12:03:00

It depends on the HR monitor. The problem is that the pacemaker generates pacing pikes on your ECG which the monitor may interpret as additional heart beats. The amplitude of the spikes change as breathing expands and contracts the chest. This can cause things like intermittently ready double your actual HR or in some cases ignoring some of your beats.

Right after my initial implant I had to go to one of the Polar monitors that used an LED light through my finger tip to measure actual blood pulses. This solved the pacemaker problem, but this type was sensitive to movement from brisk walking or running. Worked great on the exercise bike though.

The Garmin GPS shouldn't have any effect on the pacer since it only receives signals from satellites. I've even carried mine in a shirt pocket almost over the pacer.

frank

pacemaker/heart rate monitor interference

by dw406904 - 2010-03-08 12:03:08

I have a St. Jude for bradycardia and can't get a reading w/ a Garmin...I asked the rep, she called home office while I was in the room and was told it shouldn't have any effect on a hrm, but that they hear patients saying the same thing...

No problems

by dtread - 2010-03-09 10:03:07

I have a Medtronic Adapta pacer and have had no problems with a Polar "Edge" HR monitor which is an old model no longer sold (chest strap version). I've tried the electrolyte cream and it works a little better than plain water, but not that much better. If I get the strap moistened real good with water I can usually get a good reading, although sometimes it will get dried out and lose the contact.

no problems

by Brantfordmuscle - 2010-03-10 01:03:05

Hi I have a Medtonics and it doesn't affect my Garmin HR monitor. I have the 405 and it works like a charm.
It doesn't affect my pacer at all either.

Heart rate monitor that works

by pizzicato - 2010-03-14 01:03:14

My husband bought me a Garmin 305 and I can't use it. It works for a few seconds and then shuts itself off. I think it counts the pacemaker pulse and heart beat and gets double the expected reading and decides to shut off because something is too wacky.

My running/walking group has a fellow who loans out heart rate monitors by Polar. I can get decent readings on it. He says that Polar uses different software/algorithms/detection systems on different models and only some would be usable for pacemaker patients. I experimented with wearing it on front, back, left and right and right worked best.

There is no interference by the heart rate monitor on pacemaker function. The problem to overcome is pacemaker input that confuses the heartrate monitor.

The best part of using the monitor once last year is that I had data to show my technician and doctor and campaign for an increase in maximum heart rate that the pacemaker follows. The data showed that my heartrate was flat at 130 throughout exercise and not enough to allow me to walk fast. We bumped it up to 145 and now I have more energy, can walk faster, and can climb more flights of stairs and still feel fine.

My latest adjustment was just two weeks or so before the Portland Marathon. I'm looking forward to a full training season this year with my new adjustment and even better race times.

Polar works

by tsteely - 2010-05-05 12:05:39

I just bought a Polar FT7 with chest belt today and it works great. I have a Medtronic pacemaker and was pleased to learn the Polar works good with it.

Looking Heart Rate Monitor Suggestions?

by bastuart - 2010-11-18 04:11:44

I have read off the comments about using a heart monitor with my pacemaker. I would like to use one, but I have found for me if I put the strap around my chest, I can feel my pacemaker kick off and it going fast. Not sure why, it doing that. So my questions, is I would perfer only using a the type that comes as a watch. Any recommendations?

Medtronic Adapta and Mio Ultimate

by camgough - 2010-12-24 12:12:07

I have had a Medtronic Adapta PM since July 2010. Now that I am into rehab I am using my Mio Ultimate everyday. It is the Mio that has a chest strap, or the finger buttons right on the watch face. I use the chest strap when I exercise. I find it to be quite accurate now. Make sure you wet the strap with water before putting it on or it will not work, or will take a long time to work. At first I had some difficulty, but in the last 2 months all has been good. I am not sure if the difficulty was from my scrars from open heart surgery, or just the simple fact I didn't wet the strap. Happy now with it, just need my heart to keep getting stronger!

Workouts enabled by switch to minute ventilation sensor.

by loghouseJD - 2011-02-22 12:02:05

Despite pleadings with my cardiologist in Pennsylvania I could not get my Medtronic Kappa KDR401 set for exercise. I felt exhausted in the afternoon and could not get a HR faster than 128 no matter what.
I moved to Colorado, got a cardiologist that understands the advantages of working out and noticed that my pacemaker actually had two sensors one for activity (pizoelectric), and minute ventilation (bioelectric impedence technology- based on respiration rate.) He had the medtronic rep put me on a treadmill and in a mater of minutes adjusted me for pacing (I'm 100% ventricular due to bundle branch block) based primarily on respiration NOT activity. NIGHT AND DAY difference. This was about two year ago. I have a nice distribution of rates on my long term histogram. The cardiologist said I was probably tired because the PM was kicking me to a higher rate every time I moved based on the activity sensor and as a hyperactive leg jiggler rather than a couch potato I was exhausting myself. If this is happening to you.... Get another opinion or move to Colorado....

epulse2 give best continuous readings

by mjayjock - 2013-01-18 05:01:45

I have a Biotronics pm and I wear both a Polar Ft7 and an epulse2 hrm during my runs. The Polar occasional gives very high numbers 180-230 bpm while the epulse2 - which continuously monitors blood flow in my arm do not. Sometime in bright sunlight the epulse2 loses the signal - gives low readings - thus I always wear two but if I had to choose one it would be the epulse2.

Mio Alpha

by jbird68 - 2013-02-10 01:02:07

There is a new HRM that I have been looking at but it's pricey. It's the Mio Alpha. You wear it on your wrist. I was also wondering weather or not I could wear a chest strap near my St. Judes Pacemaker. I am in my 2nd month of Insanity workout and have no way to monitor my heart rate right now.

http://alphaheartrate.com/#alpha

Isn't anything easy?

by crowlster - 2013-03-16 10:03:53

Great, this rookie thought this was going to be easy. So reading through your comments sounds pretty hit an miss. I am a first time buyer and want an HRM for my wrist, aside from running/cycling, something I can also wear while doing physical work etc. Was hoping to find something basic and robust.

Axiom HRM Monitor

by zazen_1 - 2016-04-18 02:04:47

I've used a HRM while cycling year round - for 27 years - I used to compete. I noticed my axiom HRM chest strap did not seem to work when I resumed cycling after the PM install last February. It would start out OK, but then would gradually drop to a rate in the 30s? I would stop to take my pulse and it would be above 100 bpm? The HRM would suddenly read OK when my HR approached 80% of my max (anything above 118 bpm at age 72) and remain OK. I generally do the majority of a ride with my HR above 80%. I assume the PM stops pacing so the HRM starts working? I have a two lead St. Jude PM for Mobitz heart block. On the first visit I had the PM tech lower the low rate to 50 bpm (my resting pulse rate) from 60 and turn off the rate response feature. During my recent 3 month visit the upper chamber now fires around 6% of the time (down from 90%) but the lower still fires most of the time. Also set the battery saver mode - battery life now projected to be 11 years rather than 5.5 years.

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