The South Korean electronics giant has announced that the Samsung Health Monitor app has been cleared by South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as a Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) to measure blood pressure. It will become a cuffless, government-cleared, and over-the-counter blood pressure monitoring app.

Blood pressure monitoring will be available on Galaxy Watch Active 2 in Q3 2020

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 needs to be calibrated with a traditional handcuff, as shown in the video below before it can start measuring your blood pressure. The advanced heart rate sensors on the smartwatch measure blood pressure through pulse wave analysis. The smartwatch measures the relationship between the calibrated values and the blood pressure change to determine blood pressure.

The Samsung Health Monitor app is designed to give users greater insight into their health and helps them in making informed decisions based on credible blood pressure data. The app will be available on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in Q3 2020, and then it will be rolled out to older smartwatches, including the Galaxy Watch.

High blood pressure is a medical condition that is known to significantly increase risk to the brain, heart, and kidney. It can cause coronary heart diseases and stroke when not managed properly. Since the Galaxy Watch Active 2 has just received approval in South Korea, it could take months before it is available in other countries since the company needs approval from local government health agencies and authorities.

Taejong Jay Yang, Corporate SVP and Head of Health Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “The Samsung Health Monitor app has the potential to help millions of people around the world who are affected by high blood pressure. This is one of many examples of how Samsung is integrating its best-in-class hardware with the latest software innovations to innovate mobile experiences.”