Doctors’ Notes: Heart Palpitations

Chris and Xand van Tulleken take a deeper dive into heart palpitations and the rise of wearable technology.

With devices like smartwatches now able to detect irregular heart rhythms, more people are being alerted to potential problems, often without any symptoms. But is this early detection saving lives, or creating new challenges?

Joined again by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Pranev Sharma, the docs explore how wearables actually work, how accurate they are, and what happens when they flag something abnormal. They unpack the balance between prevention and overdiagnosis, and ask whether we risk medicalising normal bodily sensations. They also look at how decisions are made about treatment, and whether these decisions are changing as more cases are detected through technology.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

Guest: Dr Pranev Sharma

Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis

Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar

Editor: Kirsten Lass

Researcher: Grace Revill

Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable

Visual Producer : Leon Gower

Digital Lead: Richard Berry

Composer: Phoebe McFarlane

Sound Design: Olga Reed

At the BBC:

Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith

Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.