The Apple Watch Saved A Teen’s Life—And Put Apple’s Health Focus In The Spotlight

The Apple Watch Saved A Teen’s Life—And Put Apple’s Health Focus In The Spotlight

A thrilled Tim Cook witnesses justification for Apple’s health strategy

An Apple Watch may have saved a teenagers life, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is so pleased that he offered the thankful teen an internship next year. Paul Houle, a 17-year-old from Massachusetts, says that the watch’s heart rate monitor tipped him off to a dangerous condition. Had he not gone to see a doctor to check out his unusually high heart rate, he may not be alive today.

“After [football] practice I went and took a nap, my heart rate was still at 145,” he told WCVB, a local CBS news station. Houle went to get the strange readings checked out in the emergency room and was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition which is caused by extreme exercising and pumps out toxic chemicals into the body.

The story went viral. Soon after, Cook personally called the teen and offered him an internship next summer. For Apple, this may be the first high-profile story that makes the case for both its health-oriented pursuits and the Watch’s relatively limited number of sensors.

Monitoring Apple’s Health Obsession

For Apple, ubiquitous monitoring is the key to overhauling healthcare. Typically, patients see a doctor once every few years and get an assortment of tests. It’s the equivalent of throwing darts blindfolded and hoping something hits. In an Apple world, there is no need to guess. Humans are constantly tested for as many conditions as we can monitor at a time.

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