Memorial Health shares how smart watch alerted patient to Afib

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - February is Heart Health Month, and Memorial Health in Savannah says a smart watch alerted a patient about a dangerous heart condition.

Thirty-nine year old Daniel Smith says his watch keeps up with his heart rate, sleeping and steps. Recently, his watch also notified him when he was in AFib.

“I believe it was May of last year, I decided I wanted a fancy new watch,” said Smith. “I went and bought it, and it saved my life.”

AFib is short for atrial fibrillation. Doctors say AFib is when you have an irregular and rapid heart rhythm. It can increase the risk of stroke, blood clots and heart failure.

“Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm we experience in the United States,” said Dr. Todd Senn, cardiac electrophysiologist at Memorial Health. “There’s roughly 10 million Americans with it, and it is expected to be up to 12.5 million by 2030 alone.”

Doctor Senn says smart watches and wearable tech are becoming a growing trend.

“People actually go out and buy the watch because they aren’t sure what’s going on, but they know something isn’t right,” said Dr. Senn.

Doctor Senn adds that wearing health tech, like a smart watch or fitness tracker, is a great way to monitor and document your health.

“They’ll see their doctor and have very nebulous symptoms,” said Dr. Senn. “And it is suggested go get a smart watch. And see if we can detect what’s going on.”

Doctor Senn also says doctors can review your health numbers at your appointment. And your doctor can review past health episodes captured on your device, even if your body is not experiencing those symptoms in real time.