In a first Apple watch saves 61yearold Indian mans life Tim Cook responds

A 61-year-old Indore man suffering from hypertension discovered an irregularity in his heartbeat via Apple watch’s Electrocardiogram (ECG) feature while he was about to go bed. The watch notified the irregularity in heartbeats after which R.Rajhans, a retired pharma professional decided to do a diagnostic test through the watch itself. He did it thrice and found the problem persists. The signals he got was of arrhythmia, in which the heartbeat either slows down or gets fast.

R.Rajhans decided to share this result with his doctor. Further diagnosis revealed that he had low ejection fraction and required immediate surgery.

The Apple Watch was gifted to him by his son Siddharth, a student at Harvard University who has worked with some of the top tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Apple watch saves 61-year-old man’s life, Tim Cook responds: Key Points

"Since Apple Watch allows the ECG function, one can check it on a more regular basis. Twice or thrice, in the middle of the night, my father was getting arrhythmia signals or irregular heartbeats. It's a critical indicator," Siddharth said.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the surgery was delayed but Rajhans continued to monitor his ECG on his Apple Watch.

"My dad underwent a Mitral Valve replacement surgery and it was his Apple Watch that helped detect the irregular heart rhythm prior to the Valve failure Echo-cardiograph," Siddharth said.

"Siddharth, thank you for sharing this. I am happy to note that your father received medical attention in time and I hope he's feeling better now. Our team will connect with you," Cook responded in an email.

The ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notification feature help users identify signs of AFib, the most common form of irregular rhythm. When left untreated, AFib is one of the leading conditions that can result in stroke, the second most common cause of death around the world.