"Wife Experiences Heart Pain After Vaccination... Pericarditis Detected by Smartwatch Sparks Attention"

Galaxy Watch4, not directly related to the article content.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A recent story shared by a netizen about his wife discovering pericarditis using a smartwatch after experiencing heart pain following a COVID-19 vaccination has become a hot topic.

On the 19th, a post titled "Caught my wife's AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine side effects with Galaxy Watch4" was uploaded on an online community.

According to the author, Mr. A, his wife recently received her first dose of the leftover AZ vaccine and complained of heart pain, dizziness, and fatigue. She visited an internal medicine clinic last month but was diagnosed with simple hypotension.

Then, on the 18th, when Mr. A's wife took an electrocardiogram (ECG) test using Samsung Electronics' smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch4, abnormal reactions appeared. Mr. A also said she received a prompt advising her to "see a doctor."

Afterward, Mr. A and his wife visited a cardiology department and received a diagnosis of pericarditis. Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the outer lining of the heart, and is a very rare side effect that can occur after receiving mRNA vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna. However, according to the British Medical Journal (BMJ), pericarditis has also been confirmed to occur at levels comparable to Pfizer or Moderna with the AZ vaccine.

Mr. A said, "The signal was so weak that sometimes it didn't register, and since it told us to see a doctor, we went to a large hospital's cardiology department. They said it seemed like pericarditis suspected to be a vaccine side effect."

He added, "The hospital asked why we came so late, but the general internal medicine clinic couldn't detect it, and who would have known if there would be heart problems? After checking the ECG with the Galaxy Watch, a few young people also came to the hospital."

On the 19th, Mr. A, who posted on an online community titled "Caught my wife's vaccine AstraZeneca (AZ) side effects with Galaxy Watch4," shared photos of the Galaxy Watch4 he is using along with the electrocardiogram measurement results.
[Photo by FM Korea capture]

Netizens who read this post responded with comments such as "The Galaxy Watch was worth the money," "I should try it after getting vaccinated," "The real value of the watch is as a medical device," "Glad it was detected before it got worse," and "I need to buy the watch right away."

However, some netizens criticized it as "viral marketing to promote the Galaxy Watch4." In response, Mr. A shared screenshots of the AZ vaccine confirmation text, hospital receipts, and photos of the Galaxy Watch4 he was using, expressing his frustration.

The author also shared photos of the ECG measurement results. The photos recorded issues such as poor signal, undetermined judgment, and atrial fibrillation.

Later, on the 20th, Mr. A posted a follow-up story. He said, "The detailed examination confirmed pericarditis, but fortunately, it is mild," adding, "They said it was a lucky case."

He continued, "The doctor couldn't confirm if it was caused by the vaccine, but it seemed likely given the circumstances," and "I looked into the procedure to get a refund for the hospital fees, but it was complicated, so I won't pursue it anyway." He added, "The causal relationship wasn't important," and "I'm glad everything was resolved well." He also revealed, "The doctor advised not to get the second dose if possible, so I plan not to."

There have been previous cases where the Galaxy Watch's ECG measurement function detected heart abnormalities. In November last year, an American man sent a thank-you video to Samsung Electronics, saying he was able to stay alive thanks to the Galaxy Watch3's ECG function. He also tried the ECG out of curiosity, saw atrial fibrillation results, visited a hospital, and received treatment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.