Do you know how many people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea? More than 936 million worldwide, according to a 2019 study by The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. These numbers are highest in China, USA, Brazil and India. Some of the most important markets. Yet despite the massive scale of the problem, a large majority of cases go undiagnosed or untreated.
Galaxy Watch can detect sleep apnea — now Samsung and Stanford want it to manage it
To help change that, Samsung has teamed up with Stanford University to launch a new research project on sleep apnea, notes a press release. This research project focuses on better understanding of sleep apnea. If you’re using a Galaxy Watch 4 or newer, you’re probably already familiar with this feature.
The sleep apnea detection feature, which monitors blood oxygen and sleep patterns, already received FDA authorization. That’s a first for wearables in this category. It’s also been cleared in 29 countries, with Brazil being the most recent. Now, with the help of Stanford researchers, Samsung wants to explore how AI and long-term data could turn this into more than just a detection tool. The vision is early alerts, daily tracking, and possibly even real-time guidance for people who live with the condition.
The study is led by Prof. Robson Capasso, Stanford’s Chief of Sleep Surgery, and Prof. Clete Kushida, a leading sleep expert. Capasso notes that smartwatches are already widely accepted, making them a promising tool for large-scale health tracking. But he also stresses that any health tech must be ethical and backed by science. “We are excited about this groundbreaking collaboration and proud to be initiating a study utilizing smartwatches, a friendly and commonly accepted wearable,” he said.
Meanwhile, Samsung MX Digital Health Head, Dr. Hon Pak added, “This collaboration with Stanford Medicine will combine our deep technological expertise with Stanford’s leading research capabilities to unlock new innovation in preventive care.”
