assing out is scary enough. Smashing your face on the floor on the way down? Even worse. Thankfully, Samsung thinks your smartwatch should probably warn you before gravity takes over.
In a joint clinical study with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital [KR], Samsung announced what it calls the world’s first successful smartwatch-based prediction system for vasovagal syncope (VVS), better known as fainting.
Using biosignals gathered from the Samsung Galaxy Watch6’s PPG sensor, researchers analyzed heart rate variability with an AI algorithm during induced fainting tests involving 132 patients with suspected VVS symptoms.
The result? The Galaxy Watch managed to predict impending fainting episodes up to five minutes in advance with 84.6 percent accuracy.
That may not sound dramatic until you realize five minutes is enough time to sit down, call for help, or, at the very least, avoid introducing your forehead to the pavement.
According to Professor Junhwan Cho from the hospital’s cardiology department, up to 40 percent of people experience vasovagal syncope during their lifetime, with many suffering repeated episodes.
Samsung sees this as part of a broader shift from reactive healthcare to preventive care, where wearables do more than count steps and nag you about sleep. The research findings were published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health.
Images: Samsung.
