Samsung Galaxy Watch could alert you to heart problems soon before it’s too late

Upcoming Samsung Galaxy watches may soon be able to detect the early signs of heart failure, helping users to seek timely medical intervention. Here’s how.

Samsung is preparing to expand the role of its smartwatches from fitness tracking to advanced health monitoring. The company has recently revealed that upcoming Galaxy Watch models will be able to identify Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD), a condition that often precedes heart failure and affects roughly half of all patients who later develop the condition.

The future Galaxy Watch may soon be able to detect hidden heart issues and provide early warnings of potential heart failure.

AI Collaboration to Detect Heart Dysfunction

LVSD occurs when the heart’s left ventricle cannot contract efficiently, which leads to reduced blood circulation and fluid buildup. Detecting it early typically requires a hospital-grade ECG, and without timely intervention, the risk of hospitalization or death rises. Samsung aims to make early detection accessible through its wearable devices.

To achieve this, Samsung partnered with Medical AI, a South Korean company that specialises in ECG analysis. The firm’s algorithm already screens over 120,000 patients monthly across 100 hospitals in South Korea. Samsung adapted this technology to work with the PPG heart-rate sensors on its Galaxy Watches, potentially making them the first consumer wearables capable of flagging possible heart dysfunction. The feature has received regulatory clearance from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, giving Samsung an early advantage in the market.

Samsung, however, plans to offer LVSD detection as a “general wellness” tool rather than a formal medical diagnostic. This suggests that the company may not immediately pursue FDA approval in the U.S., unlike Apple and Google, which have sought full medical certification for similar health features. Still, the move highlights Samsung’s ongoing efforts to make its wearable devices central to personal health management. Samsung Health already supports telemedicine, prescription tracking, and other wellness services, and adding AI-powered heart monitoring aligns with that strategy.

Users Report Higher Sleep Scores after Update

Meanwhile, Galaxy Watch users are noticing changes in other health tracking features. Several users have reported sudden spikes in their Sleep Score on the device, sometimes reaching near-perfect scores despite no changes in sleeping habits. A Reddit user who tracked their Sleep Score since 2022 saw it jump from the usual 70s range to 99, and others reported similar experiences with daily scores in the high 90s. Even users of the Galaxy Ring, a separate wearable, noticed the same increase.

Observers suggest that the changes may result from software adjustments in how Samsung calculates Sleep Score. Since the update is recent, scores may stabilize over time, returning to more typical ranges.