Apple Watch owner credits device for saving his life with low heart rate feature

Apple Watch continues to be an essential product for everyone with its lifesaving health monitoring features. The latest story comes out of California, via KTLA’s Rich DeMuro, and it specifically shows how one invisible feature can lead to discovering an invisible health scare.

Low heart rate detection to the rescue

Peter Moore, a resident of Montecito, California, attributes his survival to his Apple Watch after it alerted him to a critical heart condition. “This little device saved my life,” Moore stated. Moore, a former tech exec, was on his way to the airport to pick up his daughter when he began feeling unwell. “I felt a bit lightheaded and faint. I thought a quick stop at Starbucks might help,” Moore said.

However, Moore soon received a notification from his Apple Watch. “My phone alerted me to a low heart rate, something I had never seen before. My heart rate had dropped to 32, and the watch kept insisting something was wrong,” Moore explained. Concerned, he contacted his wife, who immediately took him to the hospital.

From heart rate alert to pacemaker

“The doctor rushed in and said, ‘This is serious. You need a pacemaker immediately,’” Moore recalled. Dr. Omid Yousefian, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Sansum Clinic Cardiology, acknowledged the Apple Watch’s crucial role. “His watch played a significant part in saving his life,” Yousefian said.

“For us physicians, symptoms are the most important thing. He was alerted by his watch and connected that alert to his symptoms, leading him to seek immediate medical help. That quick response was vital,” Yousefian noted.

Moore had a pacemaker implanted within hours to regulate his heartbeat. “I feel great now,” Moore reported. Having always been a technology enthusiast, Moore now holds his Apple Watch in even higher regard. “The value of wearables is not just in daily use but also in real-time health monitoring. In my case, it saved my life,” Moore concluded.

Using heart rate notifications

For more on how Apple Watch can help monitor your heart health and more, see our 7 ways to check and improve heart health with Apple Watch story. High and low heart rate notifications are available on Apple Watch Series 1 and later for users aged 13 and up.