Changing his Apple Watch for a recent model saved his life

So far, the majority of stories about Apple Watch detecting serious heart problems in their wearers share one thing in common: the alert is given by the accessory's heart rate sensor.

But for Ken Couniha, it was a completely different fact that allowed him to stay in this world.

When Apple Watch recency is critical

The witness recently told the local newspaper News5 in Cleveland, a city in the state of Ohio in the United States, that he regularly monitors his various activities of the day with the Apple Watch, including his sports sessions, but also his sleep. At the end of last year, his watch revealed aabnormally high breathing rate for several nights.

With a little hesitation, not really understanding the seriousness of the situation, he goes to see a doctor. He undergoes a few standard tests, including a chest X-ray, then is sent home with a diagnosis of bronchitis and a prescription for the correct treatment.

Except that, the same day, he is put on alert again by his Apple Watch. This tells him that hisblood oxygenation level begins to drop significantly.

Head to the emergency room this time for the man who then undergoes much more in-depth examinations. A scanner shows the presence ofclots around the lungs. A treatment of anticoagulants was prescribed for Ken Couniha, who quickly returned to good health in the days that followed.

According to the doctor, 60% of people who have this type of clots in the lungs experience a fatal outcome, not detecting the problem early enough. Ken Couniha was therefore truly saved by his Apple Watch, thanks to two pieces of data: theoxygenation rate in the blood and the rhythm of breathing. You should know that only Apple Watch Series 6 and more recent Apple Watches can measure blood oxygenation levels. If Ken Couniha had used an old model, he might no longer be alive...

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.