“The watch dinged me,” said Dr. Emerson. “I looked down and it said you are in atrial fibrillation.”
During atrial fibrillation or AFib the upper chambers of the heart are out of sync with the lower chambers. The quivering heartbeat can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart failure. “It told me I wasn’t feeling as good as I thought I was,” said Dr. Emerson.
The veterinarian immediately went to his doctor for an EKG. “Ray, he says, your watch is right. You are in atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Emerson.
The 79-year-old had surgery at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center to correct the irregular rhythm. “It’s really important because it’s a leading cause of stroke,” said Dr. Jason Zagrodzky, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center. Dr. Zagrodzky says a stroke is often the first sign of AFib. “Most people don’t know there is something wrong with them,” said Dr. Zagrodzky.
Dr. Emerson says he’s sold, even though his Apple Watch was a gift. “I was too cheap to buy it myself,” said Dr. Emerson.
Ask him now, and he’ll tell you the wearable technology is priceless. “Oh yeah. This is my buddy,” laughed Dr. Emerson.
Via: CBS Austin, Texas
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