8 times the Apple Watch predicted danger and saved lives in 2024
ZDNETWearables are becoming an increasingly popular way to monitor your health. Smart rings like Oura can detect changes in vital signs that might indicate sickness, and smartwatches, including the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, can identify sleep apnea. AirPods can now test your hearing; even irregular menstruation data collected by fitness bands can reveal early signs of bigger health issues. But in some cases, wearables go beyond routine health monitoring to save users’ lives. A 2023 study found that smartwatches are highly accurate when it comes to detecting arrhythmias. Through heart rate, emergency, and fall detection features, the Apple Watch helped several people in dire situations in 2024.Also: The best Apple WatchesHere are eight instances where the Apple Watch detected critical information in the nick of time.1. Unlikely heart failure Memphis-based Kamron Jones’ Apple Watch frequently sent him alerts indicating his heart rate was abnormally high, which eventually prompted him to visit the hospital. At the time, he had assumed he was feeling low-energy due to a recent case of pneumonia. But after several tests, doctors determined he was experiencing heart failure.At only 22, Jones didn’t expect the diagnosis and wouldn’t have considered it possible without his Apple Watch. Jones told Fox 13 that he would have ignored his mild symptoms if not for the watch’s notifications — at which point it may have been too late to get the help he needed. More