Samsung Galaxy Watch's Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification

SEOUL: Samsung has announced that the Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRN) feature of the Samsung Health Monitor app for Galaxy Watch has received FDA (Food and Drug Administration) clearance.

Together with the app’s existing on-demand Electrocardiogram (ECG) function, the IHRN feature proactively monitors heart rhythms suggestive of atrial fibrillation (AFib — a type of arrhythmia), right from the wrist.

“We’re excited to announce that Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification, designed to help millions of people around the world who may not be aware of a potential heart risk, has been cleared by the FDA,” Hon Pak, Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

As cardiovascular disease remains one of the world’s leading causes of death, the company said to help users better understand their heart health. Galaxy Watch offers tools such as the Samsung BioActive Sensor, including on-demand ECG recording and HR Alert function that detects abnormally high or low heart rates.

The addition of the new IHRN feature enables Galaxy Watch users to monitor another aspect of their health.

Once activated in the Samsung Health Monitor app, the IHRN feature will check for irregular heart rhythms in the background via Galaxy Watch’s BioActive Sensor.

If a certain number of consecutive measurements are irregular, Galaxy Watch then alerts the user to possible AFib activity and prompts them to take an ECG with their watch for a more accurate measurement, according to the company.

The Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification feature will be available as part of the newly announced One UI 5 Watch, coming first to the upcoming Galaxy Watch devices later this year and later expanding to previous editions.