Sleep apnea is a condition that many people across the world have to deal with, and it can be pretty troubling. It causes the person’s breathing to stop and restart many times during the sleeping process. As a result, the body won’t receive enough oxygen. In some relatively rare cases, untreated obstructive sleep apnea could even kill the patient.
Therefore, it’s pretty clear that the world needs as many devices as possible to detect sleep apnea, similar to how smartwatches are able to tell the heart rhythm or the blood sugar levels of the user. Samsung might have the right formula when it comes to detecting sleep apnea as well.
Samsung will add sleep apnea detection for smartwatches in 2024
Samsung has made the big announcement that starting early next year, it will introduce a new feature capable of detecting sleep apnea for both the Galaxy Watch6 and Watch5 series. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in Korea even granted its approval for the upcoming feature.
The sleep apnea detection feature will become part of the Samsung Health Monitor software once it launches, which is an app that comes installed by default on many Samsung devices. In other words, those who are eligible for the update won’t have trouble finding it as soon as it becomes available.
It’s important to recognize sleep apnea in its earliest stages in order to treat it the right way, as otherwise, the disorder could get worse. Hon Pak, who is VP and Head of the Digital Health Team at Samsung Mobile, believes likewise. He stated, as Samsung’s official website quotes:
With the new sleep apnea feature on Galaxy Watch series, we are providing users with a simple, proactive tool to recognize this disorder in its earliest possible stages before their condition worsens.
Hon Pak also emphasized that Samsung remains committed when it comes to providing technologies to its wearables “that help more people better understand and take control of their wellness.” Hopefully, Samsung Watch users will know when it’s time to seek medical attention for their condition, as the upcoming feature will inform them. Blood oxygen levels will be monitored during the user’s sleep. The wearables will analyze how the detected blood oxygen values shift to apnea or hypopnea. An estimated Apnea-Hypoapnea Index (AHI) will be provided.
In the beginning, the new sleep apnea detection feature will only be available in Korea for those owning either a Samsung Watch 5 or Watch 6 device, while we can hope that those living in other countries will also benefit at some point.
