Samsung Gets FDA Nod For Smartwatch Sleep Apnea Detection

Samsung announced this morning that its Galaxy Watch line received FDA approval to detect sleep apnea. Health and fitness is important to the smartwatch category, which now includes many new features. In recent years, the industry has focused on heart monitoring and blood oxygen sensing in search of the next big innovation.

Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is an option often considered. This will surely be a game changer for millions of people with diabetes. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) itself is a widespread problem, and according to the National Council on Aging, approximately 39 million Americans live with the condition.

Globally, the number has risen to 936 million, a potentially high death toll. The worst part is that most people who suffer are not diagnosed. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that this number may be as high as 80% of sufferers.

OSA is the more common of the two types of sleep apnea (including central sleep apnea). This causes the sleeping person's upper airway to close, restricting breathing. It increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney failure, high blood pressure and stroke.

"The sleep apnea feature allows undiagnosed sleep apnea users over 22 years of age to detect symptoms of moderate to severe sleep apnea (OSA) over two nights of monitoring. It's undiagnosed and untreated," Samsung writes. You can track their sleep time. twice

The Galaxy Watch isn't the first consumer product to promise sleep apnea monitoring. The best Wings mattress also offers this feature. During the outbreak, a French company announced a watch with this function.