Samsung Electronics announced today that the new sleep apnea detection feature in its health monitoring app, Samsung Health Monitor, has received approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, this feature will be available on the Galaxy Watch series in Korea starting early next year.
The new feature is expected to enable more people to proactively detect symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, a common yet dangerous medical condition that causes individuals to stop breathing during sleep, this condition often goes undiagnosed or untreated.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a prevalent and potentially hazardous medical condition that results in interruptions in a person’s breathing during sleep, it can lead to oxygen desaturation, decreased sleep quality, and other health complications, including high blood pressure, heart disorders, stroke, and cognitive impairments.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 25% of men and 10% of women in the United States suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, with many failing to recognize their symptoms or seek medical treatment.
Samsung’s new sleep apnea detection feature is designed to help more people identify these symptoms proactively, promote early detection, and reduce the likelihood of related health complications.
Leveraging the BioActive sensor found in Galaxy Watches, the new feature monitors blood oxygen levels during sleep and identifies cases ranging from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea based on detected blood oxygen values.
Users are simply asked to track their sleep twice, each time for more than 4 hours, within a span of 10 days to measure if they exhibit these symptoms.
The new sleep apnea detection feature in Galaxy Watches joins other existing features in the Samsung Health Monitor app, such as blood pressure monitoring, electrocardiogram analysis, and irregular heart rate notifications, providing users with a comprehensive understanding of their overall health, all from their wrist.
