Apple Watch helps to save another life, user diagnosed with tachycardia

Posting to Twitter, host of radio show Science Friday Ira Flatow revealed his brother was "saved by his Apple Watch," alerting him to a higher than normal heart beat. According to the personality, the heart beat was in excess of 200 beats per minute, prompting the sibling to take a trip to the hospital.

Doctors issued a diagnosis of tachycardia, a condition when the heart rate exceeds the normal resting rate, which for most adults would be a resting heart rate of over 100 beats per minute. While such rates could be normal, as in cases where the person regularly exercises, it can also be deemed abnormal for a variety of problems, including electrical issues within the heart itself.

Flatow also posted a comment from the brother on the accuracy of the Apple Watch, noting "during the 15 hours I was at the hospital hooked up to the monitors, my monitors never disagreed with my Watch's reading. I checked many times."

The introduction of functions in watchOS 5.1.2, including enabling the electrocardiogram function in the Apple Watch Series 4 in the United States and the Irregular Rhythm Notification for all models, has been credited with saving numerous lives since the start of the year.

In January, a New Hampshire man credited the Apple Watch Series 4's ECG function for spotting atrial fibrillation. In February, a North Carolina native was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia following a similar Apple Watch notification, while another in Washington learned his atrial fibrillation had returned via the device.