Apple Watch saves the day and detects silent heart condition: a South Carolina couple is beyond thankful،
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of irregular heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the lower chambers. According to the CDC, about 2% of people under 65 and 9% of people 65 and older have atrial fibrillation. Heartbeat irregularities become more common as people age. Some people with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms. Others experience symptoms that may include a rapid heartbeat, palpitations, fatigue, or shortness of breath.
This is what Apple says about the Apple Watch which can help detect atrial fibrillation (AFib) and has done so countless times, potentially saving many lives.
Here's another story: this time, the Apple Watch user didn't experience any symptoms. His Apple Watch said there was something wrong, and now the man and his wife are eternally grateful for the ways technology helps us.
The latest example of the Apple Watch making a difference comes from Jeff and Ellen Priest of Summerville, South Carolina (via 9to5Mac).
Jeff Priest was lying on his couch when his Apple Watch unexpectedly informed him of a potential heart problem: atrial fibrillation. As someone who had never faced health problems and had no family history of such problems, Priest had a singular thought:
“I thought there was something wrong with the watch,” said Priest, 65, a retired dean of the University of South Carolina Aiken. “I didn’t feel bad, I felt normal.”
But his wife, Ellen, took it more seriously and got him to see a doctor.
After the medical examination and the prescription of medication which stabilized him, they let the couple return home a few hours later. But when Priest came to the cardiologist a few days later, he still had atrial fibrillation, although he still didn't feel bad. The doctor kept him on treatment but scheduled an appointment for him to get his heart back to normal. He got permission to go to a golf tournament, and in the middle of it, he suddenly felt like things were getting back to normal.
“I checked my watch and I didn't have atrial fibrillation anymore,” Jeff told Post and courier.
Ellen, who had overheard the Apple CEO checking his own emails, sent Tim Cook a heartfelt letter thanking him for the technology. And he replied:
Helene,
I'm so glad your husband saw a doctor and received the treatment he needed. Thank you so much for sharing his story with us.
Please give it my best.
Tim
