Samsung says Galaxy Watch 6 can detect when you are about to faint, up to 5 minutes in advance

Samsung says a joint clinical study with a South Korean hospital found that the Galaxy Watch6 may predict fainting episodes up to five minutes in advance using AI and health-monitoring sensors.

In Short

• Samsung study claims Galaxy Watch 6 can predict fainting episodes early
• AI and heart-monitoring sensors achieved 84.6% prediction accuracy
• Early alerts may help users avoid injuries from sudden falls

Samsung says it has developed a new health-monitoring capability using the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 that may be able to predict fainting episodes before they happen. The announcement is based on a joint clinical study conducted with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea.

Researchers tested whether the Galaxy Watch 6 could detect signs of vasovagal syncope (VVS), a common condition where a person suddenly faints because of a sharp drop in heart rate and blood pressure. While fainting itself is usually not dangerous, falling suddenly can cause serious injuries such as fractures or concussions, which is why early warning is important.

“Up to 40% of people experience vasovagal syncope over their lifetime, with one-third experiencing recurrent episodes," said Junhwan Cho of the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital.

AI and smartwatch sensors used to detect fainting risks

According to the study, the smartwatch used its photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which measures volumetric changes in blood circulation, along with heart rate variability (HRV) data combined with an AI algorithm to predict fainting episodes up to five minutes in advance.

The research involved 132 patients undergoing induced fainting tests, and Samsung says the system achieved 84.6% accuracy.

“This study is an example of how wearable technology can help shift healthcare from being designed for ‘post-care’ to a model of ‘preventive care,’” said Jongmin Choi, Head of Health R&D Group, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, Samsung Electronics.

This suggests that wearable devices like smartwatches could move healthcare from reacting to medical problems after they happen to preventing them before they occur. Early warnings could help people sit down, call for help, or avoid injuries caused by sudden falls.

“An early warning could give patients advance time to get into a safe position or call for help, which would dramatically reduce the incidence of secondary injuries,” Professor Cho added.

Samsung has not announced rollout timeline

Samsung has not announced when the feature will be released for the public, but said it plans to further improve the health-monitoring features of its wearable devices and expand partnerships with medical institutions.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 was launched in India in July 2023 and is currently available for Rs 19,999 on Flipkart. The Galaxy Watch6 series is powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos W930 SoC, paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

The smartwatch features Sapphire Crystal AMOLED displays with support for Always-On Display (AOD). It also comes with several health and fitness tracking features, including heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep monitoring. In addition, the watch is equipped with AFib monitoring, which can help users detect irregular heart rhythms.

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