A female doctor nearly died of leukemia without warning from the Apple Watch.
Another rare story about the life-saving ability of the Apple Watch has just been shared, highlighting the potential role of smart wearable devices in the early warning of serious health problems. The main character is New Zealand psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner, who could have lost her life to rapidly progressing leukemia if not for the constant warnings from her smart watch.
Ms. Faulkner told local media that her Apple Watch had been sending her frequent alerts about her abnormally high resting heart rate, hovering around 90 beats per minute, compared to her normal rate of around 55 beats per minute.
Although she is also a health care professional, Ms. Faulkner initially dismissed the alerts. She assumed it was simply a result of stress at work or that the watch was faulty after a recent hiking trip in Australia that she and her husband had just taken.
However, the Apple Watch persisted in reminding her through the Vitals app, a feature that tracks vital signs overnight and flags abnormal readings. It was this constant "annoying" that prompted Ms. Faulkner to go see her GP for a check-up.
The surprising result was that she was asked to be admitted to the emergency room immediately. Just hours later, tests confirmed she had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is a rare but extremely aggressive form of blood cancer that progresses rapidly and can be fatal within weeks if not caught early.
Receiving early warnings from the Apple Watch has been a life-saving factor, giving Faulkner a crucial advantage in her fight against the deadly disease. She is currently in the process of preparing for a stem cell transplant to replace her bone marrow. Her husband couldn't hide his gratitude for the smartwatch.
While the Apple Watch is not a dedicated medical device and cannot replace a doctor, the alerts it provides about heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation (AFib), or falls can be important early signs that prompt users to seek timely medical attention.