Oliver Haslam·

Apple Watch ECG Saves 79-Year-Old Man’s Life

Another week, another story of an Apple Watch potentially saving someone’s life. This time it was Dr. Ray Emerson who received a notification on his wrist, alerting him that he had an irregular heartbeat.

Before the arrival of the notification, Dr. Emerson was completely unaware that he may have a heart issue, but it was enough to send him to his doctor where he was given a full EKG. After the diagnosis was confirmed, surgery soon followed.

The veterinarian immediately went to his doctor for an EKG. “Ray, he says, your watch is right. You are in atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Emerson. The 79-year-old had surgery at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center to correct the irregular rhythm.

When Apple started to focus on heart health with its Apple Watch, some wondered whether it was a gimmick or not. However, speaking with CBS Austin, Dr. Jason Zagrodsky, a cardiac electrophysiologist, says that the number of people arriving at a his medical center due to Apple Watch alerts is surprisingly high.

“Most people don’t know there is something wrong with them,” said Dr. Zagrodzky. “I would say probably at least once or twice a week someone comes to me solely because their watch said, hey, you’ve got a serious problem.”

In the case of Dr. Emerson, the watch was a gift, so if you’re struggling for gift ideas for a loved one this holiday season we think we might have the answer.

Buy: Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS, 44mm) – Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band: $414 | Original price: $500

(Source: CBS Austin)

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