Apple Watch flags heart problem in athlete who had no idea he was sick and needed surgery

An Apple Watch alerted a triathlon athlete to signs of atrial fibrillation after his heart rate reached 219 beats per minute during training. Doctors later discovered an underlying heart condition that required open-heart surgery.Apple Watch flagged signs of atrial fibrillation during training for an athlete. (image credit: Apple)Apple Watch helped an athlete uncover a serious heart condition he did not even know he had. In a recent video shared on Apple’s YouTube channel, a runner named Connor said his Apple Watch detected signs of atrial fibrillation after he noticed his heart rate spiking during a triathlon training session.Connor said he had been getting less fit despite trying harder to complete the event. During one training session, his heart rate climbed to around 219 beats per minute, which immediately caught his attention.“I noticed my heart rate was about 219 beats per minute, which is ridiculous, but I realised I've got an ECG on my watch,” Connor said in the video.He then used the ECG app on his Apple Watch, which showed signs of atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the heart beats irregularly. Connor said he went to doctors after seeing the ECG result, and that is when they discovered an underlying heart condition that he had not previously known about.According to his account, the condition was serious enough to require open-heart surgery. “It was this underlying health condition which I didn't know I had. I had open-heart surgery,” he said. Connor said the experience changed the way he looked at his Apple Watch, adding: “Almost like I've got a new engine in. I can't say enough good things about the Apple Watch, it’s amazing.”Apple has increasingly positioned its smartwatch as a health-focused device, with features such as heart-rate notifications, ECG, fall detection and other safety tools designed to alert users to potential problems.How does the Apple Watch ECG feature work?The ECG app records the electrical activity of the heart through sensors built into the Apple Watch. It can then classify the recording and, in some cases, identify signs that may be consistent with atrial fibrillation.The ECG app comes preinstalled on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models, as well as all Apple Watch Ultra models. It is not available on Apple Watch SE models.It is important to note that the Apple Watch is not a replacement for a doctor or a full medical examination. An ECG alert can point to something that needs attention, but only a healthcare professional can diagnose an underlying condition.Connor's story is another example of how a feature that may seem small on a smartwatch can prompt someone to seek medical attention at the right time.Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken about the company's long-term focus on health before. In a 2019 interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, he said: “If you zoom out into the future, and you look back, and you ask the question, ‘What was Apple's greatest contribution to mankind,’ it will be about health.”- EndsPublished On: Aug 21, 2026 12:46 IST