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Apple Watch proves to be a lifesaver for 70-year-old Arizona woman

Apple Watch has proven to be an effective monitor for detecting early signs of atrial fibrillation. A 70-year-old woman from Arizona is the latest customer to make the news for crediting Apple Watch with making a dramatic difference.

Yolie De Leon says it was her Apple Watch that first alerted her to a high and irregular heartbeat before heading out for a walk. The Apple Watch used its built-in heart rate monitor and EKG detection feature to give De Leon the critical alert that may have prevented a block clot, stroke, or heart attack.

The AFib alert suggested contacting a medical professional for next steps, and Yolie De Leon did just that. After experiencing a heart rate of 174 before planning to go out for a walk, the Arizona woman instead went to her local hospital, and doctors confirmed she was experiencing AFib.

Detecting AFib early is a critical step toward preventing a deadly result like stroke or heart failure. Apple introduced the electrocardiogram function to Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018. The EKG feature is currently on Series 4, 5, and 6, but not the budget-focused Apple Watch SE.

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Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.