Apple Watch Detects 'Widowmaker' Heart Attack In Woman, Saves Her Life

Apple Watch turned lifesaver when the device alerted a woman of a potentially fatal heart attack she had just suffered and prompted her to seek timely medical help. The woman is now spreading awareness among women to pay attention to even the smallest symptoms of heart trouble.

Dianne Feenstra from Norton Shores noticed on April 22 that her Apple Watch showed her heart rate as 169 beats per minute even though she had not done any vigorous exercise. She told WZZM 13 she had only climbed 12 steps that day.

Feenstra immediately called her husband and went to a hospital where an electrocardiograph (EKG) test confirmed that she had been experiencing a “widowmaker heart attack,” named so for the higher fatality rate associated with it.

Widowmaker heart attack is caused by a blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, which supplies blood to the larger, front part of the heart. If a clot or blockage is not removed from the LAD artery and blood flow restored, it can cause severe damage to the heart muscle.

Women typically experience more subtle symptoms such as neck or jaw pain or lightheadedness, states Cleveland clinic.

“Unlike men who feel an elephant on their chest many times, a woman's symptoms are very different,” Feenstra told WZZM 13. “I had pain going down my left hand, I had a little swelling in my left foot, I had indigestion that I just explained away as acid reflux that I was experiencing as I got older. The biggest thing was pain in my shoulder and I figured I had vacuumed and put my muscles out of whack somehow.”

Crediting the wearable technology from Apple for saving her life, She thanked her husband for gifting it to her. However, it is crucial to note that the technology cannot officially detect a heart attack and the company asks customers to consult a doctor if they feel unwell.

"It's such an easy thing to see what your heart rate is, had I not done that that morning who knows but I may have had another heart attack that would have been fatal," Feenstra said.

A study conducted by researchers from Stanford University found the Apple Watch provided "trustworthy" data in detecting heart diseases. “Frailty and functional capacity could be monitored and evaluated remotely in patients with cardiovascular disease, enabling safer and higher resolution monitoring of patients,” noted the researchers.

Feenstra is now advising other women to be mindful of any such symptoms and consult a doctor.