Tim Cook responds to Apple Watch owner after its ECG feature spotted AFib

ECG results on Apple Watch Series 4
ECG results on Apple Watch Series 4 (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • An Apple Watch wearer felt unwell and ran an ECG.
  • They were warned of a potential AFIB situation which the hospital later confirmed.
  • After emailing Apple CEO Tim Cook to thank him, the wearer also received a reply.

When Apple Watch wearer Raymond felt unwell he knew what to do. The fluttering in his chest was enough to suggest that an ECG would be wise and, sure enough, the watch alerted him that he was suffering from AFIb. Something a hospital later confirmed.

Speaking with AppleInsider, Raymond said that he sent an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook to thank him for making Apple Watch a thing – even receiving a response.

Amazingly, Raymond had already had some tests carried out at the hospital the month prior, with no issues found. But after feeling ill and the Apple Watch declaring AFib no fewer than four times, he went back to the hospital once more.

In a further explanation of events, it was explained Raymond felt "a fluttering in my chest" and took "four separate readings," with the hospital later confirming it to be the case. In his prior visit to the hospital, his battery of tests included a cardiac angiogram and a stress test, but nothing appeared suggesting AFib at all.

After emailing Cook to thank him, the Apple CEO responded by saying that stories like this inspire Apple to do what it does.

I'm so glad you sought medical attention. Thanks for sharing your story with us - it inspires us to keep pushing forward.

Apple Watch has been proven time and again to save lives, whether it's via the ECG app or other means.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.