Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), which is expanding its digital healthcare ecosystem, has become the world's first to validate a technology that uses a smartwatch to predict "vasovagal syncope" in advance.
Samsung Electronics announced Tuesday that through joint research with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, it has confirmed that the Galaxy Watch can predict vasovagal syncope (VVS) with high accuracy. The research findings were published in the latest issue of a digital health journal issued by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Vasovagal syncope is a condition in which blood pressure drops sharply due to extreme stress and other triggers, causing loss of consciousness. Because patients may collapse unexpectedly and suffer fatal secondary injuries such as fractures and cerebral hemorrhage, advance preparation is essential. The research team analyzed heart rate variability data collected by the photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor mounted on the watch, using artificial intelligence (AI), in 132 suspected patients. The results showed that signs could be predicted with 84.6% accuracy approximately five minutes before a fainting episode, identifying a golden time during which patients can secure their own safety.
The achievement is seen as a clear example of Samsung Electronics' "preventive healthcare" strategy, which goes beyond simple health monitoring to proactively prevent serious accidents before a condition occurs. "We have demonstrated the possibility of shifting healthcare from a post-treatment focus to a preventive focus," Samsung Electronics Executive Choi Jong-min emphasized.
Samsung is leading an advanced digital health ecosystem with the Galaxy Watch at the forefront. Following the launch last year of the "Galaxy Watch 8," which became the first smartwatch to incorporate a feature for measuring antioxidants in the body, the device also analyzes vascular stress during sleep to support comprehensive health management. The company plans to continue expanding cooperation with major medical institutions at home and abroad and to steadily enhance wearable-based preventive health monitoring functions.
