Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of irregular heart rhythm where the upper chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the lower chambers. According to the CDC, approximately 2% of people younger than 65 years old and 9% of people 65 and older have AFib. Irregularities in heart rhythm become more common as people get older. Some individuals with AFib don’t experience any symptoms. Others experience symptoms that could include rapid heartbeat, palpitations, fatigue, or shortness of breath.
That’s 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 one more story – this time, the Apple Watch user didn’t experience any symptoms whatsoever. His Apple Watch stated there’s something wrong, and now both the man and his wife are eternally grateful for the ways technology helps us.
The latest example of Apple Watch making a difference comes from Jeff and Ellen Priest out of Summerville, South Carolina (via 9to5Mac).
Jeff Priest was lounging on his sofa when his Apple Watch unexpectedly notified him of a potential heart issue: atrial fibrillation. As someone who had never faced health issues and had no family history of such conditions, Priest had a singular thought:
“I thought there was something wrong with the watch”, said Priest, 65, retired provost of the University of South Carolina Aiken. “I wasn’t feeling bad, I was feeling my normal self”.
But his wife, Ellen, took it more seriously and made him see a doctor.
After the medical examination and prescribing medications that got him stabilized, they let the couple go home hours later. But when Priest came to the cardiologist a couple of days later, he was still in atrial fibrillation, even though he still did not feel bad. The doctor kept him on the medications but made an appointment for him to get his heart shocked back into a normal rhythm. He got permission to go to a golf tournament, and in the middle of it, he suddenly felt things return to normal.
“I checked on my watch and I was out of atrial fibrillation”, Jeff explained to the Post and Courier.
Ellen, who had heard Apple’s CEO checks his own email, sent Tim Cook a heartfelt letter thanking him for the technology. And he wrote back:
Ellen,
I’m so glad your husband sought medical attention and received the treatment he needed. Thanks so much for sharing his story with us.
Please give him my best.
Tim
