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Samsung Galaxy Watch to Add 'Hot Flash Detection' Feature

[비즈한국] Samsung Electronics005930 is expanding the target of its wearable healthcare. The core measurement metrics of the Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor, introduced starting with the Galaxy Watch8 series, are expected to add a feature to detect nocturnal sweating (hot flashes) during sleep in menopausal women. This move is interpreted as an effort to solidify its position as a comprehensive wellness device that goes beyond a simple fitness tracker to catch early symptoms of diseases in daily life.

Choi Jong-min, Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team at Samsung Electronics' MX Business, stated during a lecture at KIMES 2026 (Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show) held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 19th, "Through hardware innovation, we have implemented the ability to measure EDA within the existing sensor package," adding, "We are preparing to use this first for monitoring hot flashes, which many menopausal women struggle with."

EDA is a non-invasive physiological indicator that captures changes in electrical resistance caused by minute sweat secretion on the skin's surface. Samsung Electronics currently uses this EDA sensor to provide precise analysis information on users' stress changes and sleep patterns and quality.

The inclusion of this hot flash monitoring feature is analyzed as a result of a partnership with global big pharma Bayer. In 2024, Samsung Electronics joined forces with Bayer to conduct joint research on sleep disorders in menopausal women. The structure involves using smartphone and wearable data based on the Samsung Health app for the research on sleep disorder treatments for menopausal women that Bayer is currently developing.

In this process, it is understood that Samsung Electronics focused on hot flashes, a key underlying cause of sleep disorders. A Samsung Electronics official explained, "We signed a contract mainly to provide a data collection environment with Bayer, and the hot flash monitoring algorithm using the EDA sensor is being developed independently in-house."

Samsung Electronics has recently been accelerating its expansion into the healthcare sector. It is already tracking a wide range of vital signs through the integrated BioActive sensor on the back of its smartwatches. It monitors heart rate, blood pressure trends, blood oxygen saturation, and irregular heart rhythms (atrial fibrillation) with the Photoplethysmography (PPG) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, and performs precise body composition analysis with the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) sensor. A Samsung Electronics official emphasized, "Beyond simple wellness targets, we will expand our wearable ecosystem to a clinical level that can be meaningfully utilized in actual medical practice settings.".