A method of detecting abnormal heartbeats includes providing a library of abnormal beat synthesis (ABS) filters, wherein each ABS filter corresponds to a specific cause of a cardiac problem. The method further includes obtaining an ECG of a normal heartbeat of a person and applying an ABS filter from the library of ABS filters to the ECG of the normal heartbeat of the person to generate a potential abnormal ECG. The method further includes monitoring a heartbeat of the person and classifying each heartbeat as either normal or abnormal.