Fourth Frontier

I got a post on my FB feed about this just now and wondered if anyone had come across it. Looks like a do it yourself ECG for use during exercise.

Assuming it works as an accurate EKG device - which let’s assume it does - I think this is most applicable to older athletes who want to monitor their heart health during exercise.

In one of the studies they linked to, the average age of participants was 48. In that study, they found that continuous EKG monitoring during a marathon found heart abnormalities in 17% of athletes.

For younger athletes, I don’t think this would make as much sense. But young athletes are shown in their marketing pictures - more visually appealing I guess!

Interesting. I’ll recommend it to a very close friend of mine. 66 and with a heart condition who goes on an MTB twice a week and hammers it for an hour before retiring to the pub. Doesn’t wear a heart monitor because " I don’t want to scare myself" . Go figure.

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I am 48 and I find it really interesting any trustworthy reviews out there? @dcrainmaker have you tested it?

I haven’t. Not yet anyway. People keep asking about it, and I keep meaning to buy one and try it out. They’ve also reached out too.

That said, I have hard issues with companies who do smoke and mirrors with making you think you have a certified medical device but don’t actually get one. Fourth Frontier hasn’t gone out and got certification as an ECG device. They smoke and mirrors it on their home page by showing a list of six ‘certifications’, but none of those are for the actual medical device side of things. It’s just generic manufacturing stuff. On their ‘Regulatory and safety page’, they literally just copy the FCC approval. That’s it.

In the case of both the US and EU, there are very clear certification paths to getting ECG as a medical device certification. Fourth Frontier hasn’t done that. It requires a lot of time/investment/money/people, but it’s what ultimately makes medical devices mostly dependable.

Finding that it’s not a medical device isn’t easy, but is listed here: Fourth Frontier | Improve your Heart Health | Frontier Heart Program

“We do not provide any medical advice or medical treatment. The content and any information provided by our experts are for informational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. The Frontier X2 is a health and fitness tracker and not an FDA-approved medical device. The Frontier X2 is not intended to be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Information provided by Frontier X2 is not a substitute for medical advice.”

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Many thanks @dcrainmaker as usually detailed reply. :pray:

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