A 35-year-old New York City woman credits her Apple Watch with saving her life after it alerted her to a deadly health condition.
Jessie Malone, a producer at Peloton Interactive, was riding an electric bike home when her smartwatch signaled an increased heartbeat last May.
‘It said: “You should seek medical attention immediately.” He was red and vibrant. “I was like, ‘Oh my God,'” she said in an interview with Today.com.
Heeding the warning, he decided to go to the emergency room, where he was immediately given medication and the next day he underwent a minimally invasive procedure.
“I was going to go home and take a nap if my watch hadn’t said anything,” Malone, now 36, recalled.
Jessie Malone, a 35-year-old woman from New York City, credits her Apple Watch with saving her life after it alerted her to a deadly health condition.
Malone (pictured in March), a producer at Peloton Interactive, was riding an electric bike home when her smartwatch signaled an increased heartbeat last May.
Malone’s Apple Watch began sending him warnings about a heart rate above 160 beats per minute and advised him to seek medical attention in May of last year.
Malone recalled waking up feeling nauseous in her friend’s apartment, but still well enough to ride her bike home.
Shortly after, his Apple Watch began sending him warnings about a heart rate above 160 beats per minute and advised him to seek medical attention.
At the time, Malone was unfamiliar with atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular and often rapid heart rate that can lead to poor blood flow, blood clots and even a stroke.
“I didn’t really feel anything except nausea. That gave me a little anxiety. I’m like, ‘That’s so weird.’
“It started to sound like my resting heart rate was elevated and also that I had gone into Afib,” Malone added.
She remembered leaving the back and texting her friend saying, “This is happening.” I don’t know if it’s serious.’
At Mount Sinai West’s emergency room, the 36-year-old woman recounted her experience to staff.
‘Suddenly, I’m surrounded by eight doctors. That’s when one of the doctors asked, “Has anyone in his family ever dropped dead without explanation?” he recalled.
“And I was like, ‘Wow, what?!'” She was incredulous, but soon realized the seriousness of her condition.
Doctors rushed to give Malone two types of medication to reduce his heart rate to 130 per minute. The next day, she underwent cardioversion, a procedure in which doctors used electricity to restore the normal rhythm of her heartbeat.
Nearly a year after the procedure, Malone shared a video of his experience on Instagram, calling it “the scariest three days of my life.” [her] life’
Doctors rushed to give Malone two types of medication to reduce his heart rate to 130 per minute.
The next day, he underwent cardioversion, a procedure in which doctors used electricity to restore the normal rhythm of his heartbeat.
“I was in shock the whole time. It felt like an out-of-body experience. I felt very nervous,’ she said.
The then 35-year-old man was lucky enough to be discharged the next day and was able to get beta blockers and blood thinners at a local CVS.
‘It was one of those things where, in a normal scenario, I would be frustrated by a long queue. But I thought, ‘Wow, I’m alive and I’m at CVS. This is great,'” she said.
Nearly a year after the procedure, Malone shared a video of his experience on Instagram, calling it “the scariest three days of my life.” [her] life.’
What he experienced, atrial fibrillation (AFib), is often called a “silent killer” and is known to be more common in people with high blood pressure.
Doctors remain baffled as to the exact cause of atrial fibrillation, which was previously thought to affect around a quarter of adults at the time of their death.
But Danish experts who analyzed the medical records of millions of adults found that the risk has only increased.
The overall lifetime risk was estimated at 31 percent between 2011 and 2022, compared to 24 percent between 2000 and 2010.
The researchers also found that up to two in five patients are likely to suffer from heart failure. One in five will suffer a stroke.
Malone began changing his diet and reducing his caffeine and alcohol consumption after the horrific experience. After months of exercising, Malone ran a half marathon in Central Park in February and signed up for a marathon in Washington, D.C., in early May.
Malone began changing his diet and reducing his caffeine and alcohol consumption after the horrific experience.
‘I prioritize sleep heavily. It’s mostly about getting my health back,” she said.
“The doctor was under the impression that (lack of sleep and too much caffeine) could have built up and gotten to the point where it caused Afib.”
“It was the perfect storm of essentially living in New York City and not taking proper care of yourself.”
After months of exercising, Malone ran a half marathon in Central Park in February and signed up for a marathon in Washington, D.C., in early May.
“I feel like a completely different person with a lot more energy,” he said. “You have to prioritize your own health, that’s the most important thing.”