GoKawiilKaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
TL;DR A Samsung-commissioned study suggests the Galaxy Watch 6 can predict fainting episodes up to five minutes before they happen.
The study focused on vasovagal syncope (VVS), a common condition caused by sudden drops in heart rate and blood pressure.
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.
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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.
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