An Apple Watch saved a dentist’s life — here’s how

An Apple Watch has been credited with saving the life of a dentist after the wearable detected irregularities in the user’s heart rhythm. 

Reported by the Hindustan Times, Nitesh Chopra, a dentist in India, felt chest pains which prompted him to use the electrocardiogram (ECG) function of the Apple Watch Series 6. After getting troubling results, he consulted a doctor with the Watch’s data and was shocked to discover he had a blocked artery. 

Thankfully, as the issue had been caught early he was able to receive treatment and is now on the mend. Nitesh said he felt “blessed” and “can’t express” his thanks to his Apple Watch for helping him discover something was wrong at an early stage. With health problems such as a blocked artery, the earlier the issue is detected the less likely it is to cause significant damage. 

"Initially I used Apple Watch as a fashion accessory and to check the time and my step count, and could not imagine that one day it will save my life," said Nitseh. The dentist was also impressed with the accuracy of the wearable’s readings. He was able to compare them against the ECG results taken at the hospital and noticed “they were in sync.” 

The feel-good story has even attracted the attention of Apple CEO Tim Cook. Nitesh wrote to Cook personally to express his thanks for the Apple Watch, and Cupertino's boss responded: “I'm very glad you sought clinical evaluation and received the care you desired. Thank you for sharing your story with us."

This is not the first the Apple Watch has been credited with saving someone’s life. In the past the smartwatch has helped user’s detect all kinds of issues including lung cancer and thyroid problems. While a smartwatch should not be your singular source of medical advice, it’s a powerful tool that can help you detect health problems in the early stages, which can make all the difference. 

Earlier this year a nursing student took to TikTok to encourage Apple Watch users to enable heart rate monitoring after she was diagnosed with a serious condition that the wearable had previously detected. Now that's one very smart watch.