FDA approves Samsung's sleep apnea feature for Galaxy Watch
Samsung has received approval from the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a sleep apnea detection feature in its Health Monitor app. This innovative feature, which works with select Galaxy Watch and Samsung phone pairings, will help users identify signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea over a two-night monitoring period. Around 25% of men and 10% of women in the US suffer from the condition, which often remains undiagnosed, as per the National Sleep Foundation.
How sleep apnea feature works
To take advantage of Samsung's sleep apnea detection feature, users must be at least 22 years old and track their sleep for more than four hours on two separate occasions within 10 days. It is expected to launch between July and September this year officially. Sleep apnea is a widespread and chronic sleep disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure.
Availability on Galaxy Watch models
Samsung's press release has not explicitly mentioned which Galaxy Watch models will support the sleep apnea feature in the US. However, it is anticipated that the Galaxy Watch 6 series will be included. In South Korea, both the Watch 6 and Watch 5 families have already been approved by relevant authorities to support this feature. With this new addition, more individuals can easily determine if they have sleep apnea and seek medical attention to minimize health-related complications.