I Now Have a Cardiologist • Hacker News Board

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#11

Post by ordinaryradical » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:48 AM UTC

laurencei wrote: post #4

If you put a popular device, with a medical detection tool into the wider population, it would be logical that the device would pick up on patients who would other not notice the symptoms (at least initially, if any). So then the question becomes what other daily device(s) could be made to do automatic health checks of certain specific indicators, which would give an early indication to the possible condition, thus i…

This take on wearables is way more exciting to me than AR. Unmediated reality and good health sounds like a much better future than the alternatives.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#12

Post by kbos87 » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:48 AM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #9

A friend of mine in his early twenties drowned a few months back due to a cardiac event related to atrial fibrillation. He was otherwise in phenomenal shape and living life to the fullest.

I’m really sorry that happened to your friend and to you. I think the best outcome of tech like this is that it makes what seems like maybe small and maybe seemingly mundane improvements that reduce the frequency that things like this happen.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#13

Post by chirau » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:50 AM UTC

If the Apple Watch can be credited for new detections, can we also blame it for non-detections?

Just asking... Because if the value prop is that they can detect, then they should have some accountability for non-detected positives, no?

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#14

Post by ajeet_dhaliwal » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:51 AM UTC

faitswulff wrote: post #2

This is the 2nd or 3rd story I've heard like this about the Apple Watch's new ECG feature. I wasn't interested in smartwatches before, but now I am considering getting an Apple Watch, even if it's just for my parents.

First time I’m interested too. I hate wearing watches and stuck to an iPhone and MacBook only until now but I’m at a high risk for heart disease. My dad died when he was only 43 from clogged arteries. I have familial high cholesterol, but statins have helped me lower to normal levels. My dad died in 1992 before statins. With statins and ecg on a watch we are all very fortunate to live in the time we do.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#15

Post by tasty_freeze » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:51 AM UTC

It is odd to me how he keeps describing his $500/month insurance as being useless: he is generally in excellent health and his yearly expenditures are low enough that he is always paying down the deductible.

Does he feel car insurance and home insurance are useless since he didn't total his car last year and his house didn't burn down?

He knows this (as he mentions it obliquely) that he could lower his deductible but his costs would go up. Is he complaining that he is on the wrong part of that tradeoff curve? Or does he expect low-cost insurance with a low deductible that covers all of his routine medical expenses?

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#16

Post by pubby » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:53 AM UTC

maxgee wrote: post #8

> resting heart rate being in the 113-120 bpm That seems insanely high

That's what a-fib is: unusual rapid heart rhythm.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#17

Post by Waterluvian » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:53 AM UTC

Are there any quality alternatives for literally just monitoring your heart? I don't like the watch but I want that feature pretty badly.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#18

Post by kbos87 » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:53 AM UTC

tasty_freeze wrote: post #15

It is odd to me how he keeps describing his $500/month insurance as being useless: he is generally in excellent health and his yearly expenditures are low enough that he is always paying down the deductible. Does he feel car insurance and home insurance are useless since he didn't total his car last year and his house didn't burn down? He knows this (as he mentions it obliquely) that he could lower his deductible but…

It feels useless when you know that after paying in $500 a month for decades your insurance could be cancelled for making a claim.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#19

Post by est31 » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:53 AM UTC

IDK about this. I find it kinda creepy to have my heart beat monitored & sent to a server far away and not under my control. I mean, ad companies already have so much data about me, do they also need to know how my heartbeat reacts to an ad? Does my insurer need to know it? I wonder whether it can detect sex and be used to e.g. track infidelity.

On the other hand, of course it's great to save lives and help you detect possibly harmful conditions. The thing that makes me uneasy is not the idea of a heart tracker watch per se, but the possibility that maybe one day the facebook app wants access or chrome because of WebHeartBeat API or whatever. This trend of constantly increasing amounts of data sources sent to the cloud is sick.

Re: I Now Have a Cardiologist

#20

Post by DoreenMichele » Fri, Mar 29, 2019, 2:55 AM UTC

I saw some variation of this story around the time it came out:

Grandfather discovers heart condition thanks to children’s museum exhibit

https://kdvr.com/2019/02/21/grandfather-discovers-heart-cond...

I don't think I submitted it to HN. I felt it would be viewed as fluff.

But we have incredible and constantly increasing opportunities to casually check biometrics that previously required serious medical exams and lab work, etc. It's absolutely changing things.