Apple Watch helps diagnose a deadly cancer and saves a woman's life

Over the years, Apple Watch has had a number of life-saving health capabilities. Now there's a powerful narrative about how Apple Watch's heart health features may reveal hidden health problems that can be deadly if left unchecked. According to CBS News, a Maine woman who previously believed her watch was broken now loves it.

Kim Durkee's Apple Watch alerted her to the presence of atrial fibrillation two nights in a row in May. She originally thought the device was giving incorrect readings, but it subsequently warned her again. The numbers went up considerably on the third night.

The reason her heart was beating erratically and she had an irregular pulse, as it turned out, was due to atrial fibrillation. The cause of her condition was a mystery, aggressive tumor that grew in her body without causing any symptoms. She had a myxoma, a rare, fast-growing cancer that was restricting the blood supply to her heart and would have caused a stroke if not treated promptly.

Doctors were able to transport her to Massachusetts General Hospital, where they performed a five-hour open heart surgery in order to remove the deadly tumor. Durkee's Apple Watch recorded no indications other than atrial fibrillation, which her doctor uncovered. If it had not been discovered, the 4cm and rapidly expanding tumor was expected to kill her "almost certainly."