Yahoo News Apple Watch saves man's life after warning him of heart problems
A father received life saving surgery after his Apple Watch warned him he had a low heart rate.
Paul Hutton, 48, was notified by his smartwatch that his heart rate was frequently dropping below 40bpm - a normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100bpm.
After visiting his GP and being diagnosed with an low heart rate, the father-of-three cut out caffeine in a bid to resolve the issue.
But his Apple watch, which was upgraded in September 2017 to alert users when they have a low heart rate, continued to send him warnings.
He was referred to a consultant who diagnosed him with ventricular bigeminy, a condition where the heart beats irregularly and therefore blood is unable to pump out effectively.
Mr Hutton, a technology writer, of Bradfield, Essex, had a three hour procedure, known as cardiac ablation, to correct the issue.
During the surgery, for which he was fully awake but sedated, doctors burned tiny areas of faulty heart tissue.
Electrodes are fed up to the heart via an artery in the groin to measure the heart's electrical activity and then radio waves are used to burn away tissues causing the problem.
Mr Hutton has now recovered from the surgery and joked his heart “even coped” while watching England’s World Cup cricket final at the weekend.
"My surgeon was absolutely brilliant. Once it was done, I had a very welcome cup of tea and was discharged the next day.
"I keep checking my pulse on my Apple Watch and it all seems good,” he said.
Wearable devices, like the Apple watch, could “revolutionise” the way heart conditions are diagnosed, according to Ashleigh Li, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation.
"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,” she said.
