Recently shared harrowing personal account on LinkedIn by Minal Srivastava, Vice President at Reliance Fashion and Lifestyle, sheds light on how consumer wearables like the Apple Watch and WHOOP band are often perceived as life-saving devices, but may not always work as expected in real emergencies. Her post, which has sparked widespread discussion, underscores both the promise and the limitations of health-tracking technology.
Srivastava wrote that her husband suffered a massive heart attack shortly after boarding a flight to Bengaluru. The symptoms were classic - sweating, pain in the arms, and breathing unease. Flight attendants and the pilot offered immediate medical support, including the option to deboard and seek emergency help.
But in a moment of uncertainty, her husband looked at the two devices strapped to his wrist - an Apple Watch and a WHOOP band - both of which showed no abnormal readings. Believing he was safe, and thinking of his 13-year-old son, he decided to stay onboard.
That choice, Srivastava wrote, “was a death sentence.” Doctors later described the surgery he underwent as a “Widow’s Call” - so dangerous that families are often braced for the worst. Miraculously, thanks to timely intervention, medical expertise, and his athletic strength, he survived.
In her post, Srivastava reflected on how these devices, marketed for their health-monitoring capabilities, can...
Last week, the US jobless claims report stole the show as initial claims jumped to a new cycle high and the highest level since 2021. That triggered a more dovish repricing in interest rates expec...