(WXYZ) — Every 40 seconds someone suffers from a heart attack. That breaks down to more than 800,000 people every year in the United States.
More than 600,000 of those Americans are having a heart attack for the first time.
Wearing a smartwatch saved one local woman's life. But, it's not always that simple.
Amy Satterfield is a Yoga instructor in Troy. Six months ago, her Apple Watch alerted her to something happening while she was sitting down.
"I noticed that my heart rate said 126bpm and I mentioned it to my husband and said that's weird it shouldn't be that high and he said no it should not be that high," she said.
Amy said in the moment she felt fine with no signs of a racing heart or any other complications. But Amy's heart was failing and she needed to take action fast.
She went to the hospital where doctors say her mitral valve failed. This caused her heart to weaken and fluid to build up.
Beaumont Cardiologist Dr. Monica Jiddou-Patros says Amy did the right thing.
"It's a good thing she went in because she got the eco and they found what was wrong with the valve and were able to fix it," she said.
While Amy is back teaching and is happy to be on the mend she cautions people to "pay attention to your health and listen to those around you."
Signs of a heart attack:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of your chest
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness
Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. They may also be hereditary so the best way to prevent it is to take action now before it's too late.
"I think it's important to be vigilant," Henry Ford Cardiologist Dr. Yelena Selektor said. "It's really good to have good self-care. It's important not to wait until heart problems come."
