Irregular heartbeat symbol
The monitor noticed that the gaps between pulse beats were uneven while it was measuring. It is a note about the rhythm during this one measurement, and the monitor still gives you the blood pressure and pulse numbers.
Check your monitor’s manual — makers differ.
What it is for
Every maker cited says to measure again, and each gives its own advice about a doctor. Omron: “If it continues to appear, we recommend you to consult with and follow the directions of your physician.” A&D: “We recommend contacting your physician if you see this symbol frequently.” Beurer (BM 54): “If the symbol appears frequently, please consult your doctor.” Microlife: “it is recommended to select MAM mode and repeat measurement to double confirm the blood pressure reading.”
These pages report what each maker’s manual says and quote it wherever health is involved. They do not diagnose anything and are not medical advice; only your own monitor’s manual describes your model.
- What it looks like
- A heart with a jagged pulse line or waves drawn through it, shown beside the reading once the measurement is over. Omron adds a small 2, or 3 for three times or more; A&D’s manual calls its mark I.H.B.; Microlife labels it PAD.
- Names makers use
- Irregular heartbeat symbol (Omron); I.H.B. or IHB indicator (A&D); Cardiac arrhythmia symbol (Beurer); Pulse Arrhythmia Indicator, PAD (Microlife)
Where makes differ
What sets it off is not the same. Omron shows it when an irregular rhythm is detected 2 or more times during a measurement, an irregular rhythm being one “25% less or 25% more than the average rhythm”. A&D defines an irregular heartbeat as one that “varies by 25% from the average of all heartbeats during the blood pressure measurement”. Beurer’s BM 54 manual gives no threshold: the device “can identify potential disruptions of the heart rhythm”. Microlife shows PAD “when pulse irregularities occurred during the measurement”, and on its AFIB models PAD also appears whenever the AFIB mark does. Movement can trigger it: Omron says it “may be displayed when the monitor detects arm movements”, A&D that it “may light when a very slight vibration like shivering or shaking is detected”.
What it does not mean
It is not a diagnosis of any heart condition. Beurer writes that arrhythmia “can only be determined through an examination by your doctor”, and Microlife that the measurement result “is not a diagnosis”. It does not throw the reading away either, though Beurer (BM 28) says: “When assessing your blood pressure, only use the results that have been recorded without any irregularities in your pulse.”
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No published standard we could check defines blood pressure monitor control icons, so this meaning is taken from 4 makers’ own manuals and support pages, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Omron: Omron — Instruction manual, 5 Series upper arm blood pressure monitor BP7250 (PDF) — Display table: “Irregular heartbeat symbol — Appears when irregular rhythm is detected 2 or more times during a measurement”, shown with the number 2 or 3; “defined as a rhythm that is 25% less or 25% more than the average rhythm”; “may be displayed when the monitor detects arm movements”; “If it continues to appear, we recommend you to consult with and follow the directions of your physician.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- Omron: Omron — Instruction manual, 10 Series upper arm blood pressure monitor BP7450 (PDF) — The same irregular heartbeat symbol with the 2 / 3 count, the same 25% definition and the same advice to consult your physician if it continues to appear. Checked 2026-09-28.
- A&D: A&D — Instruction manual, digital blood pressure monitor UA-611 / UA-651 (PDF) — Display symbols table: “I.H.B. appears when an irregular heartbeat is detected. It may light when a very slight vibration like shivering or shaking is detected.” Section 9: “varies by 25% from the average of all heartbeats”; “We recommend contacting your physician if you see this symbol frequently.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- Beurer: Beurer — Instructions for use, upper arm blood pressure monitor BM 54 (PDF) — Display item 5 “Cardiac arrhythmia symbol”; section 7.4: “This can be an indicator for arrhythmia … Arrhythmia can only be determined through an examination by your doctor … repeat the measurement … If the symbol appears frequently, please consult your doctor.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- Beurer: Beurer — Instructions for use, upper arm blood pressure monitor BM 28 (PDF) — Display item 16 “Cardiac arrhythmia symbol”: “Repeat the measurement … only use the results that have been recorded without any irregularities in your pulse. Consult your doctor if [the symbol] is displayed frequently.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- Microlife: Microlife — Instruction manual, BP B3 AFIB Advanced (PDF) — Display item BT “Pulse Arrhythmia Indicator (PAD)”: “displayed, when pulse irregularities occurred during the measurement … select MAM mode and repeat measurement”; “When Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is detected, the PAD is also indicated.” Checked 2026-09-28.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.