Samsung Galaxy Watches Will Soon Be Able to Measure Blood Pressure

• The Galaxy Watch Active2 will soon be able to measure and track your blood pressure.
• The device will need a calibration every couple of weeks and will use its heart rate sensors to take measurements.
• Samsung is raising the value of its Watch products, and wearables, in general, are getting more important.

Samsung Electronics announced today that the Samsung Health Monitor app had received clearance from the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), which enables the tech giant to introduce some cool stuff. First, they are bringing the ability to measure, monitor, and track blood pressure by using the Galaxy Watch Active2. Upcoming models will also support the same function. This is amazing news for a $250 wearable, adding huge value to the gadget, and for a large category of people, it turns it into a must-have.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a widespread condition that can gradually cause damage to the artery walls and blood vessels, cause aneurysm and brain strokes, and even heart failure. As the condition is generally symptomless, many people are failing to identify and treat it in time. Thus, having a way to monitor your pressure on the go, any time, without having to use a traditional medical device could potentially save millions of people in the long term. The American Heart Association claims that one out of three adults has high blood pressure, so there’s an extensive market for this product.

Users would have to calibrate the Samsung Health Monitor app using an accurate sphygmomanometer, and then manually enter the readings on the Watch. From then on, the Active2 will be able to take measurements of your blood pressure during exercise, sleep, and stressful or relaxing moments while using its heart rate monitoring sensors. After a few weeks, the device can be recalibrated to ensure maximum measurement accuracy and the continuation of reliable monitoring. As for when we’ll get to have all this goodness on our wrists, Samsung promises it will happen sometime around the third quarter of 2020.

Adding medical device capabilities on popular wearables is a great way to help people stay healthy and safe, while also adding value to the devices themselves. Apple has been doing great thus far with the life-saving ECG app that runs on Watch 4 and 5. Samsung released its own ECG system last year, and now they’re following up with something equally useful, which is great. However, it may take a while for the new functionality to be licensed by the medical authorities of all countries. Hopefully, the fully-fledged version of the Health Monitor app will be available everywhere by the end of the year.