FDA clears Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, Watch Active 2’s ECG feature
One of the new features that Samsung introduced with the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in the form of an ECG monitoring tool. The feature was actually not activated at the time of launch as it required clearance by the FDA, but the good news is that it looks like it has since been cleared.
This means that if you’re curious about your heart’s health and if you might have an unknown underlying heart condition, this feature might come in handy. All you need to do is download the Samsung Health Monitor app app, lay your arm on a flat surface, launch the app, and place your fingertip on the top button to begin the reading process.
For those who are unfamiliar, an ECG monitor is meant to check your heart’s rhythm. It is also meant to help look out for irregularities in that rhythm, which is also known as Atrial Fibrillation (AFib for short). While the ECG monitoring feature is useful, it should not necessarily be used as a diagnosis.
If it does detect that something is wrong, it is probably a good idea to follow up with your physician who might have medical-grade tools at their disposal to take a more accurate reading, although this isn’t to say that such features still aren’t useful. We have seen many instances in the past where a smartwatch’s heart rate and ECG monitoring function have saved the lives of its users, notifying them to problem before it got too serious.
Source: Samsung