Apple Watch saves woman from a high-risk blood clot

AppleInsider

An Apple Watch has helped save the life of a woman from a potentially deadly blood clot, by waking her up from a nap.

Apple Watch has multiple heart-related functions.

The Apple Watch has a range of heart-monitoring features built into it and has been repeatedly cited as the reason people sought medical assistance. In another instance of life-saving, the Apple Watch is said to have saved one Cincinnati woman, in a situation that could've turned deadly.

Kimmie Watkins was feeling unwell one day and decided that a nap could help make her feel better. She had felt lightheaded and dizzy, believing that it was down to not eating much food.

The nap wasn't for long, as her Apple Watch alerted her to a high heart rate of 178 beats per minute, reports Local12. After an hour and a half, the Apple Watch woke her with an alarm "that said that my heart rate had been too high for too long," explained Watkins. "So for over 10 minutes, it was too high."

Heading to her physician, Watkins was told she had a saddle pulmonary embolism. According to University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine cardiologist Dr. Richard Becker, it was the "most severe and life-threatening" blood clot, as it "saddles both the blood vessel to the right lung and to the left lung."

Becker said there was a 50% survival rate for a saddle pulmonary embolism.

Though she didn't have a history of heart problems, Watkins also discovered she had a clotting disorder. She is now working on regaining stamina and is taking blood thinners.

Watkins now hopes that others will take to wearing health-monitoring smart wearables like the Apple Watch.

"It might be seen as staying too connected or something, but I think it can be helpful in a health sense, and not just in a connect-to-people sense," she added.

The incident follows just over a month after a woman was rescued by emergency responders after a heart attack in May, summoned by the Apple Watch fall detetcion feature.

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Pancake

I wonder how many lives have been saved by the Apple Watch since it’s inception?

leehamm

Interesting story and kudos to the watch.

She shouldn’t be having circulation problems at 29 but she doesn’t look like someone who normally/ever has a heart rate of 178 bpm.  Isn’t it surprising she doesn’t mention shortness of breath, if the embolism was blocking the route to both lungs?

iqatedo

JP234 said:

leehamm said:

Interesting story and kudos to the watch.

She shouldn’t be having circulation problems at 29 but she doesn’t look like someone who normally/ever has a heart rate of 178 bpm.  Isn’t it surprising she doesn’t mention shortness of breath, if the embolism was blocking the route to both lungs?

Makes you wonder if she'd have woken up at all if she hadn't been wearing that watch.) I take mine off to charge it at night. Probably should charge it up while I'm showering, huh?

Yes. My watch makes it through the night and I charge it while at my desk. The Apple Watch exhibits a nice balance of battery bulk (and watch bulk) against lifetime on a charge.

jfabula1

JP234 said:

Pancake said:

I wonder how many lives have been saved by the Apple Watch since it’s inception?

I can think of one: my brother. He was feeling tired and out of breath, and his Apple Watch told him he was in afib. He went to the VA and was checked out by a cardiologist, who told him it was nothing to worry about. Next day he was walking his dog, felt even worse, and the watch kept warning him about afib. After being relentlessly badgered by the family, he agreed to go to a cardiologist in private practice. He was diagnosed with severe afib, and has had two cardio ablations, two shock inversions, and an implant called a Watchman, in addition to blood thinners. He's now much better and can do most things without a problem.

Moral lesson learned …. Wear your iwatch as much as you can….but don’t go to the VA for such conditions