The electrocardiogram (ECG) feature of the Apple Watch was only turned on last week in Europe there’s already a report of it discovering a serious heart condition in a German man.
This is exactly what it’s intended to do: find heart problems for which there are no obvious symptoms.
Not just a toy
Dr. Michael Spehr, a columnist with the German FAZ newspaper, took to Twitter to report being told by a reader that the reader’s Apple Watch had found he was suffering from Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).
https://www.twitter.com/MicSpehr/status/1112979026849751040
This person — whose name isn’t given — admits that he first thought the Apple Watch ECG function was just for hypochondriacs, but became concerned when it consistently diagnosed him with AFib.
He went to a doctor, who hooked him up to a professional grade ECG, then told the man that his Apple Watch was correct.
AFib is the most common form of irregular heart rhythm. The problem, which often goes undetected, brings increased risk of heart failure and stroke.
Apple Watch ECG helping on two continents
Apple Watch ECG debuted in the United States in December after getting approval from the FCC. Since then, it’s diagnosed heart problems in quite a few Americans.
ECG functionality is enabled by electrodes in the back crystal and Digital Crown of the most recent version of the Apple Watch. When a user places their fingertip on the Crown, it forms a circuit that allows the Watch to read their heart’s rhythm in just 30 seconds
This feature requires hardware that’s only built into the Apple Watch Series 4 that was introduced in fall of 2018. It isn’t available on earlier versions of this wearable.
Via: The Sun
