Samsung gets FDA approval for sleep apnea feature on Galaxy Watch
Samsung just received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the sleep apnea feature in the Samsung Health Monitor app. This will detect signs of sleep apnea when using a compatible Galaxy Watch and Samsung phone combo in the US.
Which Galaxy Watch, you're wondering? It's still unclear, Samsung's press release doesn't talk specifics, but it's safe to assume at least the Galaxy Watch6 series will get it. For what it's worth, in Korea both the Watch6 and Watch5 families will support the feature, which was previously approved by the relevant authorities there.
The sleep apnea feature will let you detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea over a two-night monitoring period, starting in the third quarter of this year, when it's scheduled to launch (so sometime between July and September).
To use it you simply need to track your sleep twice for more than four hours within a ten-day period. You'll apparently have to be over the age of 22 to use the feature.
Sleep apnea is a common and chronic sleep condition that often goes undiagnosed and untreated. It causes you to stop breathing while sleeping and can result in your oxygen supply being disrupted. Thus it can cause low sleep quality and daytime fatigue as a consequence. Untreated sleep apnea can compound the risk of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias and stroke.
The National Sleep Foundation says about 25% of men and 10% of women in the US experience this condition. Samsung's new feature will easily allow more people to figure out they have it and, if so, seek medical care to reduce any health-related complications.