Apple Watch anniversary gift by wife helped, potentially saving the life of 58-year old man

An Apple Watch as the anniversary gift wasn't something Bob March, 58-year old, expected but it turned out to play an important role after all. Once he started using the Apple Watch, the Heart Rate app showed some erratic heart readings with highs of over 120 beats per minute (BPM) while the resting rate below 60BPM.

The real-time heart rate reading is a feature that has been mentioned in a lot of stories where Apple Watch helped save the lives of users, and this story is also about that critical function.

At his 17th wedding anniversary, Bob March received an Apple Watch as a gift from his wife, Lori March. Bob used to participate in half marathons as an adult and was curious about the smartwatch's various health features. However, within days of wearing the Apple Watch, Bob realised that there was something wrong and the concerning heart rate readings pointed to a possible heart condition.

On being checked by medical experts, Bob was found to have an arrhythmia, a condition where people have an irregular heartbeat. People with this heart condition may experience heartbeat which may be too quick, too slow, too early or even with an irregular rhythm (or irregular heartbeat). While the arrhythmia condition may not be very severe or cause complications, however, this could increase the risk of stroke or cardiac arrest, if not checked.

Bob went for heart surgery in October last year and is now doing fine. His daily routine includes a run alongside his dog. Both Bob and Lori credit Apple Watch for changing their future.

Apple shared Bob's story as part of its campaign for this "Heart Month" where the company is encouraging people to take control of their fitness and health.

In 2020, Apple launched it's Apple Watch Series 6 alongside an all-new Apple Watch SE ahead of the iPhone 12 series revealing that the company is confident of smartwatch's success. Last year, the Cupertino-based giant announced the Family Setup feature in watchOS 7 that lets family members who don't own an iPhone enjoy an Apple Watch. All they need is a setup done by a parent's iPhone.

Many stories where Apple Watch was the saviour
Last year, the electrocardiogram (ECG) feature on the Apple Watch helped save the life of a 61-year-old man from Indore. Later, Apple CEO Tim Cook wished the man a speedy recovery in an email.

Another case where Apple Watch came to the rescue was when an 80-year-old lady in Germany with a heart condition was alerted by the Apple Watch. The smartwatch's ECG reading helped detect her condition while the hospital machines could not identify initially.

Recently, Apple Watch came to the rescue of a British cyclist who got stuck in the river. The cyclist called using the Apple Watch and was saved by the rescue team.