Apple Watch keeps spotting cardiac issues and saving lives, this time in Australia

Posted:
in Apple Watch
In another case of the Apple Watch detecting a medical condition, an Australian man says the Watch alerted him to his elevated heart rate, leading to fast enough intervention to save his life.

Apple Watch on hand


According to 9 News in Australia, 24-year-old college student Adam Love received notifications on his Apple Watch that his sleeping heart rate had reached between 130 and 140 beats per minute. Alarmed, Love visited a doctor.

The visit culminated in Love being diagnosed with a hole in his heart, a serious condition that he had had since birth and had been missed to that point. During the examination that was prompted by the Apple Watch data, the doctors also discovered that the man's circulatory system was delivering aerated blood to the wrong location.

The Apple Watch wasn't the only new technology that helped save Love's life. His subsequent heart surgery was performed via a keyhole incision, which was patched up by a daVinci 3D robot, allowing Love -- who happens to study robotics -- a much faster recovery.

Watches save lives

Love's is at least the fourth story to make the news rounds this year of the Apple Watch spotting a condition or otherwise playing a role in rescuing a user from a calamitous health emergency.

A woman and child were saved from a car accident after the activation of the Emergency SOS feature. The heart rate monitor helped lead to the diagnosis of a Florida teenager's kidney disease, while the same thing happened with a man's ruptured ulcer that same month. And a Hong Kong man's heart condition was spotted by the Apple Watch this past spring.

In some of those cases, including Love's, the life-saving properties have caused the users to declare themselves Apple Watch fans for life. Apple has not used any of these stories in advertising, although CEO Tim Cook has made personal phone calls to at least some of the users.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    I wonder how many people have had their life saved, or helped because of the watch. My story never got in the media, except for my mentioning it here, and on Ars. Others mentioned theirs in response to mine.
    SpamSandwichracerhomie3netroxwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 21
    Last time I got that notification, I’d just smoked some bomb-ass ghetto chronic. Always good to know you’re getting your money’s worth.
    king editor the gratefranklinjackconwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 21
    Eventually the Watch will save the life of the next Hitler, igniting global conflagration and tanking Apple's stock price.
    claire1viclauyycwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 21
    claire1claire1 Posts: 510unconfirmed, member
    I remember some iKnockoff fan saying "but google is extending lives!" based off some vaporware abandoned projects.
    Apple is actually doing it.
    StrangeDaysracerhomie3acejax805bb-15jbdragonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 5 of 21
    zompzomp Posts: 62member
    I'd like to share a tip to my older friends. i'm 55 and wear my watch throughout the night and charge in the afternoon. Before the alarms, I was able to notice irregular heart rates (via health app)  while sleeping and I tracked this info over a period of two months before going to the doctor's. The doc ran tests and X-rays to learn that I had a hiatal hernia which was sending acid reflux back and swelled my thyroid which impacted my heart rate. With a change to my diet (how much I eat at one time) and an acid pill once a week, my heart rate is back to normal.
    Use at night for a better view of your resting heart rate.
    SpamSandwichviclauyycclaire1racerhomie3Rayz2016Solinetroxking editor the gratejbdragonartharg
  • Reply 6 of 21
    jimdreamworxjimdreamworx Posts: 1,095member
    Having atrial fibrillation, I have no problem buying the latest Apple hardware as my little way to contribute to their being able to finance their research and development of even better wearables.  When I found out my Series 0 didn't do what later version do regarding heart monitoring, next day bought a new one.  Also, the Series 0 didn't support the KardiaBand (that I found out about on this site) which even my cardiologist recommended, relating to me that his father (who also has a-fib) bought one and it is very useful.

    No point in waiting out the latest-rumored next-gen whatever, just buy it when it comes to health.  No point being the richest man in the graveyard.

    edited August 2018 racerhomie3Solijbdragonwatto_cobramacguijony0
  • Reply 7 of 21
    gerardgerard Posts: 83member
    I wear mine at night as well to monitor my sleep pattern. Hope this fall’s version will have more  monitoring features added. No heart issues for me so far...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 21
    claire1claire1 Posts: 510unconfirmed, member
    zomp said:
    I'd like to share a tip to my older friends. i'm 55 and wear my watch throughout the night and charge in the afternoon. Before the alarms, I was able to notice irregular heart rates (via health app)  while sleeping and I tracked this info over a period of two months before going to the doctor's. The doc ran tests and X-rays to learn that I had a hiatal hernia which was sending acid reflux back and swelled my thyroid which impacted my heart rate. With a change to my diet (how much I eat at one time) and an acid pill once a week, my heart rate is back to normal.
    Use at night for a better view of your resting heart rate.
    THIS. This is just one great reason why I always suggest Apple increase battery life to 2 days at least. but people get offended and say "who needs it while you sleep! All day his enough!

    My reason is for sleep tracking. I have a hard time sleeping and sometimes feel I'm half asleep and not fully asleep. This could help us and researches so much!!
    acejax805jbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 21
    FranculesFrancules Posts: 122member
    Apple watch is awesome! I love it! 
    racerhomie3bb-15jbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 21
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    Great job Apple. Apple Watch has helped me to get in shape too. The recommendations & circles are quite satisfying to fill up!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 21
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    zomp said:
    I'd like to share a tip to my older friends. i'm 55 and wear my watch throughout the night and charge in the afternoon. Before the alarms, I was able to notice irregular heart rates (via health app)  while sleeping and I tracked this info over a period of two months before going to the doctor's. The doc ran tests and X-rays to learn that I had a hiatal hernia which was sending acid reflux back and swelled my thyroid which impacted my heart rate. With a change to my diet (how much I eat at one time) and an acid pill once a week, my heart rate is back to normal.
    Use at night for a better view of your resting heart rate.
    Do you also use a sleep app? I use an app called Sleep Watch, but there are free options out there.

    claire1 said:
    zomp said:
    I'd like to share a tip to my older friends. i'm 55 and wear my watch throughout the night and charge in the afternoon. Before the alarms, I was able to notice irregular heart rates (via health app)  while sleeping and I tracked this info over a period of two months before going to the doctor's. The doc ran tests and X-rays to learn that I had a hiatal hernia which was sending acid reflux back and swelled my thyroid which impacted my heart rate. With a change to my diet (how much I eat at one time) and an acid pill once a week, my heart rate is back to normal.
    Use at night for a better view of your resting heart rate.
    THIS. This is just one great reason why I always suggest Apple increase battery life to 2 days at least. but people get offended and say "who needs it while you sleep! All day his enough!

    My reason is for sleep tracking. I have a hard time sleeping and sometimes feel I'm half asleep and not fully asleep. This could help us and researches so much!!
    My Watch lasts more than 2 days already.  I charge when I take a shower and get ready each day so I've rarely ever gone below 50% by the time I put it on the charger. I don't need it using cellular, WiFI, or Bluetooth whilst sleeping so I put it on Airplane Mode and in DND Mode so that raise to wake is disabled which means it barely uses any power at night.
    bb-15watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 21
    ivanhivanh Posts: 597member
    You forgot to mention thousands of stories on the other side about the wrist problems, trigger fingers, early onset of osteoarthritis and Eye fatigue due to tight plastic watch band, touch screen, holding iPhone and iPad and bright screen that patients are complaining.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    ivanh said:
    You forgot to mention thousands of stories on the other side about the wrist problems, trigger fingers, early onset of osteoarthritis and Eye fatigue due to tight plastic watch band, touch screen, holding iPhone and iPad and bright screen that patients are complaining.
    No, they didn’t. 
    ivanhjbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 21
    glynhglynh Posts: 133member
    It’s a fantastic thing that the Apple Watch monitors & alerts the owner to heart issues and I am pleased whenever I read about this.

    However my own experience differs wildly.

    Three weeks ago I ended up in A&E with Atrial Fibrillation and spent the night hooked up to various monitors, ECG etc.

    I could hear two alert tones from the monitor almost constantly chirping low then high and the doctor told me my heart rate was going from 48bpm-184bpm.

    What did my Apple Watch do during this drama?

    It just sat there on my wrist telling me the time whenever I twisted my wrist around!

    Interestingly it did record my heart rate from 47-165bpm in the Health App and I have had alerts telling me my heart rate was above 120bpm at rest previously but on that particular no warnings whatsoever either when I started to fell erratic heart rate which necessitated my trip to A&E or when hooked up to the aforementioned monitors.

    A nurse even told me that my Apple Watch was not reading the correct rate vs. the monitors but I think she was not interpreting the monitor readout properly!

    i upgraded from my original Apple Watch to the Series 3 in part because of the increased heart function although the big thing for me as a diabetic would be Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

    I was hoping that the S3 would have this function as I remember reading some time ago about Tim Cook wearing some type of CGM monitor...


    edited August 2018
  • Reply 15 of 21
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    My Apple Watch alerted me several times as well for a whole month saying my heart rate was too high for resting (>120). It turns out that I had atypical pnuemomia which caused my heart to pump more trying to extract oxygen from my infected lungs. My heart rate finally got normalized after a week of antiboitics.
    Soliwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 21
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    melgross said:
    I wonder how many people have had their life saved, or helped because of the watch. My story never got in the media, except for my mentioning it here, and on Ars. Others mentioned theirs in response to mine.
    netrox said:
    My Apple Watch alerted me several times as well for a whole month saying my heart rate was too high for resting (>120). It turns out that I had atypical pnuemomia which caused my heart to pump more trying to extract oxygen from my infected lungs. My heart rate finally got normalized after a week of antiboitics.
    You two (and others) should email Cook ([email protected]) about your experiences and how the Apple Watch helped you realize there might be an issue.

    I don't expect Apple to advertise how the Apple Watch is a tool for early warning signs as a way of selling the device due to liability reasons, but they can surely state after the fact stories about how the Watch informed the wearer that something may be wrong, and your stories should at least be added to that tally.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    Wonderful. I think I have this right, in that, the most common ‘sign’ one might have a heart problem, is a freaking heart attack!

    And over 50% are fatal!

    Apple is on the right track with the AppleWatch. It’s all about health. 

    Best

  • Reply 18 of 21
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Wonderful. I think I have this right, in that, the most common ‘sign’ one might have a heart problem, is a freaking heart attack!

    The problem is that most people don’t see any sign. The heart attack comes after the signs they didn’t see. 
    watto_cobramacgui
  • Reply 19 of 21
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Soli said:
    melgross said:
    I wonder how many people have had their life saved, or helped because of the watch. My story never got in the media, except for my mentioning it here, and on Ars. Others mentioned theirs in response to mine.
    netrox said:
    My Apple Watch alerted me several times as well for a whole month saying my heart rate was too high for resting (>120). It turns out that I had atypical pnuemomia which caused my heart to pump more trying to extract oxygen from my infected lungs. My heart rate finally got normalized after a week of antiboitics.
    You two (and others) should email Cook ([email protected]) about your experiences and how the Apple Watch helped you realize there might be an issue.

    I don't expect Apple to advertise how the Apple Watch is a tool for early warning signs as a way of selling the device due to liability reasons, but they can surely state after the fact stories about how the Watch informed the wearer that something may be wrong, and your stories should at least be added to that tally.
    I would imagine that he’s inundated with these already. At any rate, my experience has induced three other iPhone users to get the watch, and another non iPhone user to get both.
    SpamSandwichwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 21
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Wonderful. I think I have this right, in that, the most common ‘sign’ one might have a heart problem, is a freaking heart attack!

    And over 50% are fatal!

    Apple is on the right track with the AppleWatch. It’s all about health. 

    Best

    Here’s the thing. When I was notified by my watch, I felt no symptoms. Many people think that the first sign is chest pain, or constriction, or sudden tiredness. That’s true if you’re not being monitored.

    so the first day it happens to your heart rate, you feel nothing. The second day, nothing. The third, some tiredness. Or a feeling that some will ascribe to acid reflux, as it happens in the same area, and feels about the same. Possibly the next day, the damage has been great enough that you do feel a heart attack. But that last day is what almost all people feel, and then, it’s too late, you had the attack.

    my watch warned me on that first day. In the hospital, with all the testing, they found nothing wrong anywhere, except for the high heart rate and blood pressure, which I never had before. I think I know what happened.

    ive got an enlarged prostate, pretty large. I had a sore throat from the nite before, and I had a bad allergy attack. In the afternoon I took a Zertec, which I’ve only taken a couple of times before. But I also have some potato chips before bedtime. It helped prevent me from getting up to urinate in the middle of the nite. My doctor had said that was ok because my pressure used to be about 116/70. 

    So late that afternoon, I got this warning. After checking it out, I went to read the label on the Zertec box, which I hadn’t done because I usually take Claritin, and it doesn’t mention the prostate or blood pressure. The Zertec says you shouldn’t take it if you have either, and I had both, which I’ll explain.

    almost everything affects your heart. It’s amazing, but true. The slight sore throat raises blood pressure and heart rate slightly. The allergy does the same. So does an enlarged prostate, again, slightly. Then there were the chips, which wouldn’t matter except for the rest, I believe. Your metabolism changes during the day too, which affects heart rate and pressure. Then I take the Zertec. Boom! Sudden blood pressure and heart rate jump.

    problem is that often, if this happens, the clock gets reset, and it stays that way.
    edited August 2018
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