Samsung Says Galaxy Watch Can Predict Fainting Up to 5 Minutes in Advance

Samsung's Galaxy Watch series can now predict fainting, according to a recent clinical study. The company says its AI model can warn users of probable vasovagal syncope episodes up to five minutes in advance, using heart data from the watch's optical sensors.

Researchers tested 132 patients in a controlled hospital environment. The team collected heart rate and heart rate variability data from a Galaxy Watch 6 and trained an AI model to detect patterns that precede fainting.

Published in the European Heart Journal - Digital Health, the study reports an accuracy rate of about 84.6%, with 90% sensitivity and 64% specificity, indicating that the system correctly detected most fainting events but still produced some false alarms.

Samsung says the research focuses on vasovagal syncope, a common type of fainting characterized by sudden drops in heart rate and blood pressure. Up to 80% of all fainting episodes are categorized ...