Samsung Galaxy Watch can predict fainting episodes with AI, but experts raise concerns

Samsung's Galaxy Watches Could Alert Users Before They Faint

Expertise Smart home | Smart security | Home tech | Energy savings | A/V Smartwatches and fitness trackers often tout expansive health-monitoring capabilities, though some features can create more anxiety than reassurance without independent validation, as CNET senior editor Anna Gragert previously reported. On Thursday, Samsung released new third-party research detailing how its Galaxy Watches may help detect signs associated with fainting episodes. Samsung teamed up with the Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital of Korea to evaluate over 130 patients struggling with fainting problems. The study included wearing a Samsung Galaxy 6 smartwatch with its photoplethysmography sensor that measures to collect heart rate variability data. (A photoplethysmography sensor uses light to measure changes in blood flow beneath the skin.) That data was then analyzed using an AI algorithm. The watch predicted fainting episodes with meaningful accuracy several minutes before they happened. It showed 84.6% accuracy in these predications, at a clinically meaningful sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 64%. In other words, that's enough to show that the smartwatch helped. A Samsung representative didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The common fainting attack, typically described as vasovagal syncope in medical settings, is rarely life-threatening but can indicate other medical problems and cause injury through falls. However, patients' heart rate and blood pressure can be monitored for signs, and in some cases, a faint can be predicted before it happens -- such as with the Galaxy 6 watch. "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,'" Jongmin Choi, head of the health R&D group at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement. Samsung didn't report how it plans to use the results of this study, but it did say it wants to expand the health-monitoring capabilities of its wearables.

Samsung watches can predict if you're about to faint - but there are big caveats

Samsung's Galaxy Watch may predict fainting episodes.False alarms and missed warnings remain concerns.More real-world testing is still needed. Samsung wants you to know its smartwatch can do more than count your steps, track your sleep, and guilt you for not moving enough. The company has announced its Galaxy Watch may be able to predict a fainting episode or blackout before it happens. Samsung revealed this week that a joint clinical study with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in Korea validated the Galaxy Watch 6's ability to predict vasovagal syncope, or VVS. The study used the device's photoplethysmography, or PPG, sensor to analyze heart rate variability data, then applied an AI algorithm to predict VVS during head-up tilt testing. Also: You can still get a free Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 deal at T-Mobile Samsung called the research the "world's first study" to demonstrate the potential for a commercial smartwatch to provide early prediction of syncope. The findings were published in European Heart Journal - Digital Health. Vasovagal syncope is one of the most common types of fainting, with "up to 40% of people" experiencing it in their lifetime, according to Junhwan Cho, a professor in the department of cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital. It happens when heart rate and blood pressure abruptly drop, often because of stress, dehydration, standing too long, or another trigger. The fainting itself is not life-threatening, but the resulting fall can lead to a concussion, fracture, or other injury. Also: Google Pixel vs. Samsung Galaxy: There's a clear winner "The injuries from sudden falls can be very real," Dr. Sam Setareh, director of cardiology and cardiovascular performance at Beverly Hills Cardiovascular and Longevity Institute told ZDNET. "Even a few minutes of warning could be meaningful: sit or lie down, hydrate, perform counterpressure maneuvers, or call for help. That could reduce falls, fractures, concussions, and other secondary injuries." This is where Samsung is positioning the Galaxy Watch and an early warning system as potentially making a difference. According to Samsung, the joint research team, led by Cho, evaluated 132 patients with suspected VVS symptoms during induced fainting tests. Using heart rate variability data from Samsung's watch, the AI model predicted fainting episodes up to five minutes before they happened with 84.6% accuracy. Samsung also said the model reached 90% sensitivity and 64% specificity. Also: I use this 30-second routine to fix sluggish Samsung smartwatches Sensitivity refers to how often the system correctly catches true fainting events, while specificity is how often it correctly avoids false alarms. Looking at the numbers, there could still be a significant number of alerts generated when a person is not about to faint. Dr. Brett A. Sealove, chair of cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center and vice chair of cardiology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, said the 64% specificity is one of the study's biggest limitations. "In a controlled tilt-table lab, that may be acceptable," he said, but in the real world, where millions of watch users are moving through daily life, "that false-positive rate could generate an enormous volume of unnecessary alerts." Setareh also cautioned that the study was done in a controlled tilt-table lab, with researchers observing patients in a setting designed to provoke symptoms, not in a broad real-world consumer setting with users going about normal life. Everyday factors such as "motion artifact, hydration status, posture, medications, sleep, alcohol, anxiety, and other variables" can affect signals, he said. He added: "Too many false positives can create anxiety, alarm fatigue, and unnecessary medical evaluations." Also: Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 got me off my couch and running again Sealove noted the study population was also highly specific. Every participant was undergoing a "deliberately provocative laboratory procedure designed to induce syncope (or the blackout event)," he said. The participants also had suspected neurally mediated syncope, which means the findings do not show how the algorithm would perform in someone without that history. "The study tells us nothing about how this algorithm would perform in someone who has never had a tilt-table test, who has no documented history of vasovagal syncope, or who is simply going about their daily life," Sealove said. False reassurance is another risk, warned Dr. Rab Nawaz Khan, a board-certified neurologist at MyMigraineTeam, a San Francisco-based health startup. "If a watch does not warn someone, that does not mean they are safe," he said. "People with fainting linked to chest pain, palpitations, seizure-like activity, neurologic symptoms, injury, or exertion still need medical evaluation." Also: Best Android smartwatches of 2026 In other words, someone should not assume everything is fine, or shrug off recurrent fainting, just because their watch did not buzz. "A normal smartwatch reading should not make someone ignore recurrent syncope, chest pain, palpitations, exertional symptoms, or neurologic symptoms," Dr. Setareh agreed. For now, the most realistic role for this kind of smartwatch feature appears to be as an extra warning layer for people already known to have recurrent vasovagal syncope. In that scenario, a few minutes of warning could be enough time for someone to sit down, lie down, call for help, or move away from stairs, traffic, or another unsafe place. But it needs to be accurate enough to help without creating panic, a false sense of safety, or causing people to ignore alerts. It should also work alongside medical care, not instead of it. The important part of the study, according to Setareh, is not that Samsung's watch diagnosed fainting like a doctor would. It's that it may be picking up a physiological pattern before an event. Also: I tracked 3,000 steps on my Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Oura Ring "Consumer smartwatches are absolutely becoming legitimate preventive health tools, but they are not yet replacements for medical evaluation," he said. "Their best role is as an early-warning and risk-awareness layer." Khan shared a similar sentiment. "My view is that consumer smartwatches are becoming legitimate health-support tools, but they are not diagnostic replacements for clinicians," he said. Sealove said the Samsung study is still notable because it used a commercial smartwatch rather than a medical-grade device, going as far as to call it a "meaningful milestone." Nevertheless, he warned that while wearables are useful for collecting physiological data, most are not ready to diagnose conditions or suggest treatment. Sealove reiterated that Samsung's study does not yet validate the Galaxy Watch as a preventive tool for the general population. Predicting a fainting episode during a controlled tilt-table test is one thing. Predicting one while someone is cooking breakfast, standing on a crowded platform, walking outdoors in the heat, or getting up during the night is a much harder challenge. "The leap from 'this works during induced syncope in a care lab' to 'this will protect my grandmother in her kitchen' is enormous, and that gap can only be closed by larger, multicenter, real-world ambulatory trials," he said. Also: Health is Tim Cook's defining legacy - and your Apple Watch proves it Both Setareh and Khan also suggested that the next step is real-world validation. New studies should answer practical questions: Does the feature work when people are walking, overheated and sweating, not sleeping well, drinking alcohol, taking prescriptions, or wearing the watch loosely? Does it perform equally well across ages, skin tones, and health ailments? And do alerts actually prevent injuries, or do they create noise? Only more data can provide answers. "Larger, multicenter studies across different populations, devices, skin tones, activity levels, and spontaneous fainting episodes" are needed, Setareh said. "We also need to know whether alerts actually reduce injuries." "If validated in larger real-world studies," Khan said, "this type of technology could become a useful preventive tool for people with recurrent vasovagal syncope." Samsung didn't report how it plans to use the results of this study. It only said the study demonstrates the "potential for early fainting detection" using the Galaxy Watch and that it paves the way for real-time warning systems. Currently, there is no timeline for rolling out a fainting detection feature to the broader public.

Samsung Galaxy Watches May One Day Predict If You're Going to Faint

Smartwatch fall detection is a life-saving feature for anyone at risk of passing out or tripping, but what if your device could predict that you're going to faint before you do? Samsung is on its way to figuring that out. A new clinical study from Samsung, in collaboration with Korea's Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, showed that smartwatches may one day be able to predict the wearer's fainting before it happens using AI algorithms and a modified device. The study found that a modified Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 could predict vasovagal syncope (VVS), a condition characterized by rapid drops in heart rate and blood pressure that can lead to fainting and loss of consciousness. The researchers say it affects up to 40% of people throughout their lives, with many experiencing it multiple times. Professor Junhwan Cho, a cardiology expert at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, said, "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." It would be able to notify the user to sit down or move themselves to an area where they're less likely to experience a severe injury. The fainting itself isn't often a life-threatening condition, but the fall can cause wider issues, such as a concussion or blood loss. The research found that, among a group of 132 patients, they could predict episodes of fainting within a five-minute window with 84.6% accuracy. The device used was a Galaxy Watch 6 with an additional photoplethysmography sensor attached, along with an AI model to monitor the person's heart rate variability. The tool remains a clinical study, and Samsung has yet to confirm whether it plans to bring similar features to a commercially available device. A Samsung executive said in a blog post about the research, "We are committed to driving technological innovation that empowers our users to lead healthier everyday lives," suggesting it may be a possibility on a future device. Don't expect this to happen in the near future, but we may one day see a new Samsung Galaxy Watch wearable with faint prediction tools built in.

Samsung says its Galaxy Watch can predict fainting with 'high accuracy' - Engadget

The most common type of fainting called vasovagal syncope (VVS) is normally not dangerous in itself, but it can cause sudden falls that results in severe secondary injuries like concussions. Now, Samsung says that it has figured out how to predict VVS "with high accuracy" via biosignals from its Galaxy Watch 6. Such early warnings could allow users to get into a safe position or call for help. Samsung worked with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in Korea to develop the new monitoring technique, as detailed in a European Heart Journal paper. Vasovagal syncope fainting happens when someone's heart rate and blood pressure drop abruptly after your "body overreacts to certain triggers... [like] the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress," according The Mayo Clinic. Up to 40 percent of people may experience these episodes, said one of the paper's researchers, Professor Jun Hwan Cho. The joint research team evaluated 132 patients with suspected VVS symptoms during induced fainting tests. Using a Galaxy Watch's photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor (which measures heart rate and heart rhythm), the team analyzed the patients' heart rate variability data with an AI algorithm. It successfully predicted impending fainting episodes up to five minutes in advance with 84.6 percent accuracy "at a clinically meaningful sensitivity of 90 percent and a specificity of 64 percent," Samsung wrote. "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 Samsung's head of Health R&D Group Jongmin Choi. Samsung called the study a "world-first breakthrough in fainting prediction." Samsung didn't say when or if such a feature would become available to Galaxy Watch users. The company would no doubt want to be cautious about such implementing VVS detection, given the potential for legal or regulatory issues. However, Samsung said that it intends to "accelerate the implementation of personalized, preventative health solutions." The company's latest Galaxy Watch 8 offers health alert features like sleep apnea, blood oxygen, heart irregularity and antioxidant detection.

Your next Galaxy Watch update could save you from a nasty fall

Researchers used the Galaxy Watch 6's PPG sensor and AI analysis to detect warning signs before users fainted. Samsung wants your smartwatch to do more than count steps and buzz with notifications. Its latest research suggests the Galaxy Watch could eventually warn users before they faint. In a new clinical study, Samsung reports that the Galaxy Watch 6 could predict vasovagal syncope (VVS) -- a common fainting episode -- up to five minutes before it happens. The company partnered with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea, and the early results are promising. If you've never heard of VVS, it's the kind of fainting caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, often triggered by stress, pain, exhaustion, or standing for too long. The blackout itself usually isn't the dangerous part. The problem is the fall that comes after it. A sudden collapse can lead to fractures, concussions, or worse. Samsung believes this is where a smartwatch can make a difference. In the study, 132 patients with symptoms related to fainting took part. Researchers used the Galaxy Watch 6's photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which is also used for heart-rate tracking, to monitor heart rate variability. An AI model then looked for patterns in the data that showed up before someone fainted. The results, published in the European Heart Journal - Digital Health, show the system predicted fainting episodes with 84.6% accuracy. Samsung also reports the model had a clinical sensitivity of 90%, so it correctly identified most real cases before they happened. This fainting prediction feature is still being researched, so it's not available for download yet. Samsung hasn't said if it will come as a software update or only on future Galaxy Watch models. Samsung plans to work with more medical institutions and focus more on preventive care. However, don't expect this feature on your Galaxy Watch right away, since regulatory approval and clinical testing take time.

Your next Samsung Galaxy Watch could 'dramatically reduce' your chances of injury thanks to this one clever feature

* New research suggests smartwatches could predict fainting episodes * This would give you time to minimize the danger of a fall * The research was commissioned by Samsung Most of the time, fainting episodes come out of the blue, leaving a split second for someone to support you before you start hurtling towards the ground. But what if your smartwatch could alert you to the likelihood that a faint is imminent before it actually happens? It sounds like something out of science fiction, but it could one day come to fruition. That's the idea behind a clinical research paper commissioned by Samsung, which concludes that it might be possible for a wearable device to warn you that you're at risk of fainting minutes before it happens. That would potentially give you time to get to a more comfortable place -- such as on a sofa -- so that the sudden loss of consciousness doesn't send you crashing onto the hard floor. In the study, researchers from Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea said that Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 might be able to predict vasovagal syncope (a condition that can lead to fainting) as much as five minutes before it occurs. Why the Galaxy Watch 6? Well, it has a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that tracks your heart rate. The researchers used this to monitor test subjects' heart rate variability, then fed the resulting data into an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm. This, in turn, looked for patterns that emerged just before people fainted. From this, the researchers were able to predict fainting episodes with an accuracy of 84.6%. Samsung stated that the AI model had a clinical sensitivity of 90%, meaning it was able to identify true positives and negatives with a high degree of accuracy. Not here yet Vasovagal syncope is a common condition. Indeed, "Up to 40% of people experience vasovagal syncope over their lifetime, with one-third experiencing recurrent episodes," said Professor Junhwan Cho of the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital. If a smartwatch is able to help you minimize the danger of a fall resulting from this condition, that could be a massive benefit to a lot of people. Indeed, as Professor Cho noted, "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." While the results from this study are promising, it's worth noting that this faint prediction feature is not yet available in any of the best Samsung smartwatches. Instead, it was more of a proof of concept for the idea that a wearable can predict a fainting episode ahead of time. But with the PPG sensor already on board many of Samsung's smartwatches, it's not much of a stretch to imagine a feature like this appearing in a future version of the company's devices. Many of the best smartwatches on the market -- including the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Garmin Fenix 8 -- also feature PPG sensors, meaning this feature could theoretically emerge in a smattering of other devices in the future. That said, further clinical testing and regulatory approval will be needed before any of that becomes a reality. When -- or if -- it does, though, it could save you from a nasty fall with plenty of time to spare. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Samsung Announces World-First Breakthrough in Fainting Prediction With Galaxy Watch

Joint study with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital demonstrates potential for early fainting detection using Galaxy Watch, paving the way for real-time warning systems Samsung today announced that a joint clinical study with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in Korea has successfully validated the ability to predict vasovagal syncope (VVS) with high accuracy by utilizing biosignals obtained from Galaxy Watch6. Vasovagal syncope occurs when a person's heart rate and blood pressure drop abruptly due to factors like excessive stress, leading to a temporary loss of consciousness. While the fainting spell itself is typically not life-threatening, sudden falls can cause severe secondary injuries like fractures or concussions, making early prediction critically important for prevention. "Up to 40% of people experience vasovagal syncope over their lifetime, with one-third experiencing recurrent episodes," said Professor Junhwan Cho of the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital. "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." The joint research team, led by Professor Cho, conducted evaluations on 132 patients with suspected VVS symptoms during induced fainting tests. Using a Galaxy Watch equipped with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, the team analyzed the watch's heart rate variability (HRV) data with an AI algorithm. The model successfully predicted impending fainting episodes up to five minutes in advance with 84.6 percent accuracy, at a clinically meaningful sensitivity of 90 percent and a specificity of 64 percent. "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. "We are committed to driving technological innovation that empowers our users to lead healthier everyday lives." The research findings were published in Volume 7, Issue 4 of "European Heart Journal - Digital Health," a leading medical journal and they represent the world's first study to successfully demonstrate the potential for a commercial smartwatch to provide early prediction of syncope. Samsung plans to further advance the health monitoring capabilities of its wearable portfolio and expand collaboration with leading medical institutions. Through these efforts, the company aims to lead the digital health industry and accelerate the implementation of personalized, preventive health solutions.

Your Galaxy Watch can now warn you before you faint

Your wrist might know you're about to faint before your brain does. Fainting might seem like a dramatic but harmless event, but the real danger lies in what happens next. A sudden fall can result in fractures, concussions, and other serious injuries. It is especially harmful for elderly people and can cause some serious head trauma and mobility issues. Samsung's latest research could change that. The company has completed a joint clinical study with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in Korea, successfully validating that the Galaxy Watch 6 can predict vasovagal syncope (VVS) before it happens. Recommended Videos In plain English, that means your watch can warn you that you're about to faint. What is vasovagal syncope, and why should you care? Vasovagal syncope happens when your heart rate and blood pressure drop suddenly, often triggered by stress, causing you to lose consciousness. Up to 40% of people experience it at some point in their lives, and a third of those deal with recurring episodes. Professor Junhwan Cho of the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital sums it up well. "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." How does the Galaxy Watch predict fainting? The research team ran tests on 132 patients with suspected VVS symptoms. Using a Galaxy Watch 6 equipped with a PPG sensor, the team analyzed heart rate variability data with an AI algorithm. The results were impressive. The model predicted fainting episodes up to 5 minutes before they occurred, with 84.6% accuracy and 90% sensitivity. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal Digital Health, and this is the first study to show that a commercial smartwatch can do this. Apple Watch has a fall detection feature that notifies your trusted contacts when you fall and do not respond. It seems that the Galaxy Watch 6 can now do better and warn someone before they faint, so they can take precautions to reduce injuries resulting from the fall. It's these kinds of research and advancements that turn our everyday gadgets into life-saving devices, and we cannot wait to see how far we can push the boundaries of what technology can do.

Galaxy Watch 6 predicts fainting with 84% accuracy, says study

Samsung announced that its Galaxy Watch 6 can predict fainting due to vasovagal syncope (VVS) with high accuracy. VVS is the most common type of fainting, which can cause severe secondary injuries from sudden falls. The company collaborated with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in Korea to develop this monitoring technique, as reported in a paper published in the European Heart Journal. VVS occurs when heart rate and blood pressure drop rapidly due to various triggers, including the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress, according to The Mayo Clinic. As stated by Professor Jun Hwan Cho, one of the researchers involved in the study, up to 40 percent of people may experience VVS episodes. The research team evaluated 132 patients with suspected VVS symptoms during induced fainting tests. Using a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor in the Galaxy Watch, the team measured heart rate and rhythm. An AI algorithm analyzed heart rate variability data and successfully predicted impending fainting episodes up to five minutes beforehand, achieving a prediction accuracy of 84.6 percent, clinical sensitivity of 90 percent, and specificity of 64 percent. Jongmin Choi, Samsung's head of Health R&D Group, noted, "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." Samsung characterized the study as a "world-first breakthrough in fainting prediction." The company has not indicated when or if the fainting prediction feature will be available to Galaxy Watch users, citing potential legal or regulatory concerns. Nonetheless, Samsung aims to accelerate the implementation of personalized, preventative health solutions. The latest Galaxy Watch 8 includes health alert features such as sleep apnea detection, blood oxygen monitoring, heart irregularity alerts, and antioxidant detection.

Samsung: The smartwatch will be able to predict fainting minutes before it happens

Vasovagal fainting is the most common type of temporary loss of consciousness, and although it is not dangerous in itself, the sudden fall that follows it can lead to severe head injuries and concussions. Now, Samsung claims it has managed to crack the method for predicting this condition with high accuracy by analyzing biological signals from its smartwatch. The ability to provide users with an early warning could be critical, as it would allow them to sit down, lie down, or call for help before they lose consciousness and collapse to the ground. The new development is the result of a joint study by Samsung and Chung-Ang University Hospital in Korea, which was published in the scientific journal European Heart Journal. The phenomenon in question occurs when the body reacts extremely to certain triggers - such as the sight of blood or severe emotional stress - causing a sharp drop in heart rate and blood pressure. According to the researchers, this is a particularly common phenomenon that may affect up to 40 percent of the population during their lifetime. To examine the technology, the research team tested 132 patients suspected of having these symptoms during induced fainting tests. Using the PPG sensor built into the Galaxy Watch, which measures heart rate and pulse variability, an artificial intelligence algorithm analyzed the data in real time. The results showed that the system successfully predicted impending fainting events up to five minutes before they occurred, with an accuracy rate of 84.6 percent. At Samsung, they emphasize that the study is an example of how wearable technology can shift the medical world from retrospective treatment to a preventive medicine model. The company defined the findings as a global breakthrough in the field of fainting prediction, although at this stage it has not yet announced when, or whether at all, the feature will be officially implemented for users. It is likely that the company will exercise extreme caution before a commercial launch, given the regulatory and legal complexity of medical alerts of this type. Meanwhile, the company's latest series of watches already offer monitoring for sleep apnea, blood oxygen levels, and heart rhythm disorders, as part of the vision of turning the watch into an advanced smart health bracelet.

Samsung Galaxy Watch successfully predicts fainting spells in new clinical trial

A recent joint clinical study conducted by Samsung and Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea has demonstrated that biosignals obtained from a commercial smartwatch can accurately predict vasovagal syncope (VVS). Vasovagal syncope is a condition characterized by an abrupt drop in heart rate and blood pressure, frequently triggered by factors such as excessive stress. This sudden physiological change leads to a temporary loss of consciousness. While the fainting spells themselves are typically not life-threatening, the resulting sudden falls pose a significant risk for severe secondary injuries, including concussions and fractures. Because of these risks, the ability to predict episodes before they occur is considered critical for patient safety and injury prevention. The clinical research team, led by Professor Cho, evaluated 132 patients presenting with suspected VVS symptoms. The evaluations took place during induced fainting tests. Throughout the tests, patients were monitored using a Samsung Galaxy Watch6 equipped with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. Researchers applied an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze the heart rate variability (HRV) data collected by the watch. The study yielded the following predictive results: These findings indicate a clinically meaningful level of predictive capability. The research, which has been published in Volume 7, Issue 4 of the European Heart Journal - Digital Health, marks the first study globally to successfully demonstrate the potential for a commercial smartwatch to provide early prediction of syncope. Following the publication of these results, Samsung has outlined plans to continue advancing the health monitoring capabilities across its portfolio of wearable devices. The company intends to expand its collaborative efforts with leading medical institutions to further the development of the digital health industry and accelerate the implementation of personalized, preventive healthcare solutions. Professor Junhwan Cho of the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital said: Up to 40% of people experience vasovagal syncope over their lifetime, with one-third experiencing recurrent episodes. 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. Jongmin Choi, Head of Health R&D Group, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, Samsung Electronics, said:

Samsung, Chung-Ang University demonstrate Galaxy Watch can predict fainting in advance - The Korea Times

A patient wears a Samsung Electronics Galaxy Watch while lying on a bed. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics announced Thursday that a clinical study conducted jointly with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital has demonstrated that biosignal analysis technology in the Galaxy Watch can predict vasovagal syncope with high accuracy ahead of an episode -- marking the world's first such study using a commercial smartwatch. The findings were published in the latest issue of European Heart Journal - Digital Health, a peer-reviewed journal of the European Society of Cardiology. Vasovagal syncope is a condition in which a sudden drop in blood pressure caused by excessive stress or tension leads to a temporary loss of consciousness. The condition poses a particular risk because unexpected falls can result in secondary injuries, including fractures and cerebral hemorrhage. A research team led by Cho Jun-hwan of the Division of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital enrolled 132 patients with suspected vasovagal syncope. Participants wore a Galaxy Watch6 during a head-up tilt test -- a procedure used to reproduce syncope episodes and determine whether a patient's autonomic nervous system is the underlying cause. The Galaxy Watch6's photoplethysmography sensor collected real-time heart rate variability data, which was then analyzed using an artificial intelligence algorithm. The analysis achieved an 84.6 percent accuracy rate in predicting vasovagal syncope approximately five minutes before an episode occurs -- providing patients with a critical window to assume a safe posture or seek assistance before losing consciousness. "The lifetime cumulative prevalence of syncope reaches 40 percent, and one-third of those affected experience recurrent episodes," said Cho. "Real-time detection of syncope risk will be of great help in preventing accidents in patients who have difficulty recognizing prodromal symptoms." "This study is an example of how wearable technology can help shift healthcare from a post-care model to a preventive care model," said Choi Jong-min, head of Health R&D Group within the Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Samsung Electronics will build on these research results as we work to deliver preventive health care solutions through Galaxy Watch." Samsung said it plans to continue expanding partnerships with leading medical institutions to advance the health monitoring capabilities of its wearable devices and grow the digital health ecosystem. The company's Galaxy Watch lineup currently supports health insights spanning sleep, physical activity, antioxidant levels and cardiovascular function. The Galaxy Watch8, launched last year, became the first smartwatch to include an antioxidant index feature, measuring carotenoid concentration in the body in five seconds to help users track fruit and vegetable intake.