Apple Watch Series 4 alerted user to heartbeat irregularity

Apple Watch Series 4 alerted user to heartbeat irregularity

The Apple Watch Series 4 continues to prove itself as a life saver for users. 

Reddit user sean_themighty, who describes himself as an avid cyclist and never had heart issues, shared how his Apple Watch Series 4 managed to capture premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) when two 12-lead ECGs and a stress test in the past year did not detect anything abnormal. 

PVCs are extra heartbeats that begin in one of the heart's two lower pumping chambers and disrupt the regular heart rhythm which can cause a person to feel a fluttering or a skipped beat. 

sean_themighty shared a PDF of the readings with his doctor who told him that while it was benign, a follow-up appointment in the next few weeks is necessary. Another friend of his, who works as a nurse, is also very impressed by the accuracy of the Apple Watch Series 4.

I should also add that one of my very good friends is a nurse and we had a very heated argument about the Apple Watch ECG when the watch first came out. She was basically fuming about how worthless a single-lead ECG would be and of course the very real concerns about people trying to self-diagnose themselves.

I sent her this chart today and she was also very impressed. I think she didn't realize how useful it could be until actually seeing the results.

Since Apple rolled out the ECG function in December 2018, the Apple Watch Series 4 has reportedly "saved" many lives by alerting the users to potential heart issues. The ECG app alerted three users to potential Afib heart issues and expedited the diagnosis of the heart condition. The fall detection feature of the smartwatch also saved a Norwegian man's life. 

Source: sean_themight (Reddit) via 9to5Mac