DENVER — Tom Curran, an avid hunter and fisher, thought he was experiencing anxiety when he first noticed his heart rate spiking dramatically. It wasn't until he received an Apple Watch, as a gift, that he learned he actually suffered from atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Curran experienced periods where his heart rate would surge above 120 beats per minute, sometimes reaching 160 bpm, while resting. He was excited to take his new watch on a hunting trip to track his heart.
"I was kind of excited because the Apple Watch had new heart monitoring tools on there," Curran said. "I just kind of wanted to see what it was going to do."
After taking the watch with him on the trip, he returned home with no issue. While relaxing on the couch with his wife his heart rate spiked. The watch alarmingly notified him that he was in AFib.
"I looked at my wife and said, 'Hey, we got to go to the hospital,'" said Curran.
At the hospital, doctors confirmed Curran’s AFib diagnosis and started him on medication. "At that point in my life, I was a walking stroke waiting to happen," he explained. Given his family history — his father and brothers had all suffered strokes attributed to AFib — he was particularly alarmed.
Dr. Nicholas Palmeri, a cardiac electrophysiologist at South Denver Cardiology and AdventHealth Porter, explained that AFib occurs when the heart's upper chambers quiver rather than contracting normally, leading to irregular lower chamber beats. This condition significantly increases the risk of stroke due to the potential for blood clots to form when blood gets stuck in the heart.
Curran appreciates the role his Apple Watch played in both diagnosing and monitoring his AFib. "Not only did it diagnose my AFib, we used it to monitor my AFib and make decisions on medications," he said.
After various medications failed to stabilize his condition, Curran and his doctor opted for an ablation procedure, a minimally invasive technique to correct AFib. Since the procedure, he has been free of AFib episodes for over a year and a half.
"The watch is a good measure," Curran noted. "If I should have an AFib attack, I can at least now measure when it happened and when it ended. It’s peace of mind."
Dr. Palmeri confirms that wearable technology like the Apple Watch has become a common device for detecting AFib, leading many patients to discover their condition through this means. “We have people who are constantly picking up irregular rhythms, which is the hallmark of atrial fibrillation,” explained Palmeri.
While the use of wearable technology is gaining acceptance, it is not without controversy. Dr. Palmeri cautioned that verification by a medical professional is crucial, as self-diagnosis can lead to unnecessary anxiety or inadequate treatment.
Curran's experience is part of a broader trend: Thousands of people are contributing their AFib data to national studies aimed at refining treatment and potentially reducing the long-term need for blood thinners, which pose risks of bleeding. "It's reassuring that I have it there," said Curran about his watch.
Encouraging others who face similar health concerns, Curran advocates for checking symptoms and utilizing technology. "I would suggest getting a watch," he recommended. "It’s a small price to pay for reassurance and identifying something that might be life-threatening."
With the continual advancement of wearable health technology, both Curran and Dr. Palmeri hope to see better, personalized management of conditions like AFib, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
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