What you need to know
- The Ministry of Food and Drug Saftey in South Korea has given the Software as a Medical Device approval to the Samsung Health Monitor app.
- Utilizing the sensors of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 allows for cuffless blood pressure monitoring.
- A traditional blood pressure cuff is required first to calibrate the watch initially.
Traditional blood pressure measuring methods can be cumbersome and difficult to track. Samsung is hoping to make the process much easier with its Galaxy Watch Active 2 and the Samsung Health Monitor app.
In a post to the Samsung Newsroom, it was announced that the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drugs Safety (MFDS) has given the Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) label to the Samsung Health App. This allows for cuffless blood pressure monitoring by the Galaxy Active Watch 2 when paired with the app. While the watch is compatible with iOS and Android devices, the blood pressure feature will only work when paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone.
Source: Samsung
Samsung has packed its wearable with a multitude of sensors that can give accurate readings once you calibrate them with a traditional blood pressure cuff. The watch can measure blood pressure using pulse wave analysis utilizing the built-in heart rate sensors. With the correlation between the calibration and the watch readings, Samsung is able to give accurate blood pressure measurements. However, users will be required to recalibrate the watch every four weeks.
The Samsung Health Monitor app has the potential to help millions of people around the world who are affected by high blood pressure. This is one of many examples of how Samsung is integrating its best-in-class hardware with the latest software innovations to innovate mobile experiences. - Taejong Jay Yang, Corporate SVP and Head of Health Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics
The Samsung Health Monitor app will be available in Q3, and there are plans to expand to future Galaxy Watch devices. Though, at this time, it's unclear if the blood pressure monitoring will be available outside of South Korea. Using the watch and app, you'll be able to keep all of your health readings from exercise, sleep, heart rate, and now blood pressure all in one place, giving you a more complete picture of your overall health.
Yet so attainable
While the Galaxy Watch Active 2 may be a beautiful piece of technology, it is so much more than just what's on the surface. Packed with advanced health monitoring sensors inside, you get accurate data for tracking your health. Sleep, excercise, heart rate are just a few of the things you can keep tabs on with blood pressure monitoring on the way.
