While everybody around the world knows Valentine’s Day is on the month of February, in the United States, February is also the time when they celebrate the American Heart Month. Apple has marked the occasion with a Newsroom feature detailing how an Apple Watch gift potentially saved 58-year-old Bob March.
Simply put, the Apple Watch showed Bob, a marathon runner, that his heart rate readings were somewhat high even while at rest, and thanks to this information, doctors discovered he had cardiac arrhythmia.
The Apple Watch was actually a gift given by his wife Lori for their 17th wedding anniversary. She said, “We truly believe that it saved his life. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.”
The story according to Apple:
Bob, a former college-level athlete who also ran half marathons as an adult, immediately started exploring his new Apple Watch. He discovered the Heart Rate app and though he was relaxed, his first reading showed 127 beats per minute. That was high for Bob, but he brushed it off as a fluke.
“I thought, ‘this is nuts,’” Bob says. “If I was easing into a run, or cooling down, I’d definitely be hitting numbers like that.”
Later that day, Bob and Lori noticed more erratic heart rate readings. “I started running and it started going down but then it would come back up. So that’s when I realized something may not be right here.”
The couple saw similar patterns over the next few days, prompting Lori to schedule an appointment for a routine physical.
“I figured the doctor would tell me to practice breathing, try yoga, cut back on sodium or something of that sort,” says Bob. “Instead, 10 minutes after meeting with me, he had me in an ambulance headed to the ER.”
Doctors found an arrhythmia, which caused Bob’s heart to work in overdrive. They said it was like he had been running a constant marathon for the past few weeks and if left unchecked, the results could have been devastating.
If left untreated, arrhythmia or an irregular heartbeat can sometimes lead to serious conditions, including stroke.
Bob eventually underwent heart surgery, which was successful. After a few months, he is grateful to be able to run again with his dog.
This is not the first time the Apple Watch has saved a life. In fact, there are many stories where it was the savior.
Just last year, the Apple Watch’s electrocardiogram (ECG) feature helped save a 61-year-old Indore, India man from a potential heart attack. The ECG started alerting him about his irregular heartbeat patterns which helped doctors to quickly diagnose the ailment before his condition got any worse.
That’s great news!