The Galaxy Watch Active2 is receiving a blood pressure monitoring feature through a new app. It has been announced by Samsung that the Samsung Health Monitor app has been cleared by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as a Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) in order to measure blood pressure. The app will become a government-cleared, over-the-counter blood pressure monitoring app.
When is the Samsung Health Monitor app coming out?
This app should arrive to the Galaxy Watch Active2 come Q3 2020. Why? The Watch Active2 needs to be calibrated with a traditional handcuff before it can start measuring users’ blood pressure. The advanced heart rate sensors on the smartwatch can measure blood pressure through pulse wave analysis, pretty cool, right? Then, the smartwatch measures the relationship between the calibrated values and the blood pressure change. This is to define the users’ blood pressure.
The Samsung Health Monitor app is being designed so that users can have a better look at their health. This is opposed to having an occasional check-up at the doctors. As well as this, the app helps users to make decisions for their health based on blood pressure data. After the app has been released for the Galaxy Watch Active2, it will make it’s way to older smartwatches.
So far, the app has been approved in South Korea. However, it could be months before it is available in other countries. This is due to the fact it needs approval from government health agencies.
The Corporate SVP and Head of Samsung’s Health Team, Teajong Jay Yang, has said that the Samsung Health Monitor app has the potential to help millions of people. “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”. After all, many people around the world suffer from high blood pressure and don’t necessarily manage it properly.
What are the risks of high or low blood pressure?
Both low and high blood pressure is dangerous. High blood pressure could lead to a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, low blood pressure in moderate forms could cause weakness and fainting. Severe low blood pressure could lead to a damaged heart and brain. So you may want to keep on track of your blood pressure if you do have one of these conditions.
