Henry Greenberg, MD

A Holter monitor is a portable electrocardiography device that constantly monitors the electrical activity of the heart for 24 hours or longer. Heart rhythm abnormalities, called arrhythmias, do not always appear during an electrocardiogram, or ECG, exam in the doctor’s office, so a holter monitor can be used to identify suspected occasional cardiac arrhythmias that do not appear during a shorter testing period. Holter monitors are also used for patients with congestive heart failure.

A Holter monitor’s function is similar to a standard ECG in that it records electrical signals from the heart through a series of electrodes that are attached to the chest. The electrodes connect to a monitor worn on the belt, which keeps a constant log of the heart's electrical activity and any arrhythmia events during the recording period. Data recorded to a Holter monitor is uploaded to computer and analyzed by the cardiologist to determine if any heart rhythm abnormalities exist.

For a referral to a cardiologist for a Holter monitor at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals in New York City, call 1 (877) 996-9334.