Apple Watch isn't just for fitness and exercise tracking. It's also valuable for monitoring key health metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and more. It's that heart rate monitoring that saved a user's life.
According to Echo, David Last, 54, was alerted by his Apple Watch about his dangerously low heart rate after his heart stopped 138 times over 48 hours. The Apple Watch, which Last received as a birthday gift from his wife in April, showed his heart rate dropped to as low as 30 bpm as many as 2,885 times. Most adult males have resting heart rates between 60 bpm and 100 bpm.
With this information in hand, Last went to see his doctor, who referred him to a cardiologist. Eventually, he was told he had a third-degree heart block and was at risk of sudden cardiac death. So, in August, Last had surgery for cardiac resynchronization therapy, also known as a three-lead pacemaker. Today, Last is on the road to long-term recovery.
Not the first time
Last's story isn't unique. Just last month, we highlighted five instances when an Apple Watch saved someone's life. In all the cases, the wearer was either alerted that something wasn't quite right, or the wearable device was used to contact emergency services about a health emergency.
What's interesting about Last's story is that his family doesn't have a history of heart problems. He noted, "I'm really active - I walk and use the treadmill at home a lot. We've never had any heart problems in the family at all. So I was quite shocked when I found out. It hasn't really sunk in yet."
Thanks to alerts he received through his Apple Watch, Last now has a newly-fitted device that senses abnormal rhythms and helps the heart pump blood in sync. Today, he's grateful for his watch — and his wife.
He explains, "My wife keeps saying that she saved my life, and she's not wrong. If she hadn't had bought me my Apple watch for my birthday, I wouldn't be here."
Apple's expected to reveal the all-new Apple Watch Series 8 on Wednesday, September 7.
