Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 30
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A British dad says his smartwatch detected a potentially fatal heart condition — and ultimately saved his life.
Chris Mint, 30, of Lincolnshire, has owned an Apple Watch for roughly two years. But recently, the device reportedly detected that he had an irregular heartbeat — prompting Mint to make a trip to his doctor.
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At first, physicians were wary of the watch’s accuracy. But after performing an electrocardiogram (EKG) test, Mint’s irregular heartbeat was confirmed, and he was subsequently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation or AFib. The condition — a “quivering or irregular heartbeat,” as defined by the American Heart Association — can lead to life-threatening conditions such as blood clots, stroke, and heart failure.
As for Mint, further tests revealed he was also suffering from two leaking heart valves which reportedly required surgery, per the Sun.
A 30-year-old United Kingdom man claims his Apple Watch saves his life. (iStock)
"Buying the watch was the best money [I] ever spent. I’m grateful,” he told the Sun. “Really grateful.”
Following Mint’s health scare, his wife, Tiffany, recalled the story to Apple CEO Tim Cook in an email. Cook reportedly responded by thanking her for sharing Mint’s story because, he wrote, “it inspires us to keep pushing forward.”
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“I’m glad your husband sought treatment and is fine now,” Cook also wrote, per the Sun.
This isn’t the first time a smartwatch has been credited with “saving” someone's life. In August, a 13-year-old Arizona teen said his device alerted him after his heart rate surged to extremely high levels. He was later diagnosed with a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. In another instance, a Washington man’s Apple Watch dialed 911 after detecting its wearer took a hard fall while riding a bike.