Paul Hutton and the Apple Watch that saved his life
At first, doctors removed caffeine from his diet. Since caffeine is a stimulant, that would seem to be a strange thing to do to someone with a low heart rate. But as it turns out, there is sometimes a snapback effect from a caffeine jolt that causes the heart to beat too slowly. When the removal of caffeine from his diet didn’t stop the low heart rate alerts from going off on his Apple Watch, Hutton was referred to a specialist who diagnosed him with ventricular bigeminy. This is an irregular heartbeat that comes after a regular heartbeat and prevents blood from being pumped out effectively.
“As Paul’s story shows, they offer huge potential for spotting signs of an irregular heartbeat before a person is having noticeable symptoms. However, more research is needed to determine how we can put the data generated by these devices to best use. Innovative technology such as wearable devices could be invaluable tools to healthcare professionals in identifying patients at risk.”-Ashleigh Li, Senior Cardiac Nurse, British Heart Foundation
The ECG feature is being adopted by more smartwatch manufacturers
Surgeons performed a cardiac ablation, a procedure that burns small areas of the heart in order to destroy the tissue in the muscular organ that is causing the problem. Hutton has since recovered from the surgery, for which he was sedated but fully awake. His heart was able to handle the excitement of watching the World Cup Cricket finals. He says, “I keep checking my pulse on my Apple Watch and it all seems good.”
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Active Watch 2 is expected to feature an electrocardiogram monitor
As the Apple Watch has proven time and again, wearing a smartwatch on your wrist can be the difference between life and death. The top-selling wearable is at the vanguard of the company’s continued push into health care.
Alan Friedman
