Samsung Gets FDA Nod For Smartwatch Sleep Apnea Detection
Samsung announced this morning that its Galaxy Watch series has received FDA approval to detect sleep apnea. The move is important for the smartwatch category, where health and fitness now include most of the new features. In recent years, the industry has focused on heart monitoring and blood oxygen detection in search of the next big breakthrough.
Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is an oft-cited possibility. This will certainly be a game changer for millions of people suffering from diabetes. According to the National Council on Aging, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) itself is a widespread problem, with an estimated 39 million Americans living with the condition.
Globally, the number is 936 million, which is huge for a disease that can lead to death. Worse, most people with this problem remain undiagnosed. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates this number at 80% of patients.
OSA is the more common of the two types of sleep apnea (including central sleep apnea). At the same time, the upper airways of the sleeping person are closed, which restricts breathing. Among other things, it increases the risk of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney failure, high blood pressure and stroke.
"The Sleep Apnea feature allows undiagnosed users over the age of 22 to recognize symptoms of moderate to severe sleep apnea (OSA), a common and chronic sleep condition that often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Monitoring nights. Not done," Samsung wrote. "Using this feature, users can track their sleep twice a four-hour period over a ten-day period."
The Galaxy Watch isn't the first consumer product to promise sleep apnea monitoring. The best sleeping pad from Wings offers this function as well. At the start of the pandemic, the French company announced a watch with this feature.
