Apple Watch again saves a life of an elderly woman, this time, with the help of ECG feature. Here’s what happened.
Apple Watch Series 10 detected an elderly woman’s atrial fibrillation.
Apple Watch has always been a lifesaver for several times. Now, the latest Apple Watch Series 10 managed to save the life of an elderly woman using its ECG (electrocardiogram) feature. The watch detected that the elder woman is having irregular heartbeats which hints towards a condition known as atrial fibrillation (AFib). As soon as the watch detected the condition, the woman rushed to the hospital for medical attention, which helped to save her life.
Nikias Molina posted on X, “My Apple Watch Series 10 detected my grandmother’s atrial fibrillation today using the ECG feature. She’s now at the hospital and receiving the care she needs. I still can’t believe it.” The post also has photos that show an Apple Watch alerting about an irregular heartbeat with an average of 61 beats per minute (BPM). This is described as atrial fibrillation, which needs immediate medical help.
What Is atrial fibrillation (AFib)?
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is when the heart’s upper chambers beat out of sync with the lower chambers, causing an irregular heart rhythm. It’s more common as people get older, with about 2% of those under 65 and 9% of those 65 and older affected. Some people with AFib don’t have symptoms, while others may experience rapid heartbeat, palpitations, fatigue, or shortness of breath.
My Apple Watch Series 10 detected my grandmother’s atrial fibrillation today using the ECG feature.
She’s now at the hospital and receiving the care she needs.
I still can’t believe it. pic.twitter.com/KK2kqhL0Kb
— Nikias Molina (@NikiasMolina) October 8, 2024
It’s a long-term condition, but living a healthy lifestyle and managing other medical conditions can help reduce the time spent in AFib. If left untreated, AFib can lead to heart failure or blood clots, which may cause a stroke. Tracking your AFib history can provide valuable information for discussions with your doctor.
How to set up AFib History on your Apple Watch:
To set up the AFib history on your Apple Watch Series 10, just follow these steps:
- First of all, open the Health app on your iPhone and tap on Browse, then select Heart.
- Here, click on AFib History.
- Tap on Set Up, then click Get Started.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and enter your Date of Birth, select Yes to indicate that you have been diagnosed with AFib by a doctor, and then tap Continue.
- Now, tap Continue to know more about AFib History, the results you may see, and life factors.
- Tap Done.
Make sure you have a physician diagnosis of AFib and you wear your Apple Watch at least 12 hours a day for 5 weeks to get the proper updates. AFib History periodically monitors your heart rhythm for signs of AFib. While AFib can occur at any time, some factors may influence the percentage of time your heart shows signs of AFib in the previous week.
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