Samsung intends to add a fainting-prediction sensor to the Galaxy Watch in the near future. The company announced in early May that it has partnered with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea to put sensors into the Galaxy Watch 6 that can predict vasovagal syncope with “high accuracy.”
Vasovagal syncope is the medical name for one of the most common causes of a fainting spell. Essentially, the nervous system responds to stress by drastically lowering the body’s heart rate and blood pressure, leading to restricted blood flow to the brain, causing a brief loss of consciousness. Not only is vasovagal syncope among the most common causes of fainting, its impact on heart rate and blood pressure makes it much easier to predict with existing smartwatch sensors than other causes like postural syncope or cardiac syncope.
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As someone who suffers from occasional syncope due to a long-term medical condition, having a smartwatch that can detect the signs of an oncoming episode before I’m nearly keeled over on a hot subway platform would be an absolute game changer.
Fainting alone is bad enough, but fainting spells often come with secondary injuries because signs and symptoms can come on rapidly. The reduced potential for concussions or greater injuries from sudden vasovagal syncope episodes is enough to get me to ditch my Apple Watch, which only offers fall detection once a fainting episode has already occurred. In terms of my own health and well-being, predictive warnings trump post-care medical alerts. And the Galaxy Watch could soon be capable of both.
