JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Could a gift on your Christmas list help save your life?
A former police officer living on the First Coast credits the first notice he got about a heart problem to his smart watch. It was an early detection that made him decide to go to the doctor — a move that could have saved his life.
He then went on to take part in a trial for a new procedure that Jacksonville is one of only 10 places in the world to have, according to the doctor at Ascension St. Vincent's Hospital.
"You're supposed to hold your finger on that crown for 30 seconds,” said Brent Brantley, holding his finger on his Apple watch.
Brantley, who lives in Clay County, says after going to the doctor he found out he had an abnormal heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, can lead to heart failure and stroke. Brantley had been treated for AFib more than 10 years earlier, but says he didn’t realize he was dealing with it again.
Dr. Saumil Oza at Ascension St. Vincent's Hospital says more patients are coming in after getting tipped off by their smart watches.
"We definitely get patients that come to me saying, ‘You know, my Apple Watch is registering AFib,’” he said. “So we're able to detect these heart rhythm problems much, much earlier before they have the terrible consequences of stroke and heart failure and things like that."
Oza is the lead investigator for a new trial Brantley joined. He says the new procedure is safer and faster because it doesn't involve burning or freezing tissue in the heart. It uses a high energy field to target tissue.
Brantley is no stranger to medical procedures. He was shot in the head 45 years ago when he was a police officer.
"I lost my speech,” Brantley said. “My right side of face was paralyzed and I had to learn to read and write all over again."
He says he didn't know how bad he felt with AFib until he felt good after the procedure.
"My watch it has not gone off since the procedure,” he said.
If you have an Apple watch and want to set up your AFib history, find information on how to do that here.