Apple Watch Series 4 detected heart issue for user and expedited the diagnosis
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Apple Watch Series 4 detected heart issue for user and expedited the diagnosis
The Apple Watch Series 4 continues to save lives today with yet another case of the ECG app alerting the user to an underlying heart issue.
According to NBCDFW, 75-year-old Liz Turner was tracking her heart rate on the Apple Watch during a workout when she felt something wasn't right. Her heart rate was 181, which was higher than the normal maximum heart rate of 140.
She monitored her heart rate over the next few days and uploaded the data to her phone, which she sent to her doctor. After viewing the data, Turner's doctor sent her to Baylor Heart Hospital in Dallas. The data apparently helped to expedite the diagnosis.
"The next step that we would do is say, 'OK, why don't you wear a monitor and capture what that rhythm strip is,' but because her newer watch already had that feature put in, we were able to get the diagnosis that much faster," said Dr. Praveen Rao, an electrophysiologist at Baylor Scott & White Hospital
Turner was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (A-fib), which is the leading cause of blood clots and stroke if it's not treated early. Turner underwent a two-hour long ablation procedure to isolate parts of the heart so that it will stay in a normal rhythm.
The Apple Watch Series 4 has been credited for saving multiple lives since its debut. In December 2018, it alerted a Reddit user to Afib issue. Last month, it prompted another user to seek medical assistance after the ECG app warned him of a potential Afib issue. Earlier this month, the fall detection feature of the Apple Watch saved a Norweigan man's life after he fell and alerted emergency personnel.
