Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and other previous models in India will now support the Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRM) feature, the company announced on Wednesday. This feature will leverage the BioActive Sensor on Samsung’s range of smartwatches to alert the wearer of abnormalities in heart rhythm which might be indicative of atrial fibrillation (AFib) – a life-threatening cardiovascular condition. While this feature was already available on Samsung smartwatches globally, the South Korean technology conglomerate is now bringing it to the Indian market as well.
IHRM Notification on Samsung Galaxy Watches
In a press note, Samsung announced the rollout of IHRM notifications in India. The feature is supported by several generations of the company’s smartwatches, including Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch 6, Galaxy Watch 5, and Galaxy Watch 4. As per Samsung, it can be found in the Samsung Health Monitor app.
The IHRM feature is said to work along with existing Blood Pressure and Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring capabilities to help detect irregular heart rhythms in the background. If several of the measurements are detected to be irregular, Galaxy Watch prompts the user to take an ECG for better measurement as a proactive step against potential AFib activity. To access the feature, Galaxy Watch users will need to update the Samsung Heath Monitor app via the Galaxy Store and toggle it in the settings menu.
In recent years, there have been numerous cases of Samsung and Apple smartwatches saving lives by alerting the wearer of irregular heart rhythms, prompting them to consult a doctor.
In an incident dated March 2023, a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro user reportedly checked out the ECG feature “pure out of curiosity”, which revealed troublesome symptoms such as sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation. It prompted the wearer to visit a local clinic where after due checkup, they were informed to be suffering from a condition known as cardiac arrhythmia.
In several other instances, the underlying issues have been reported as life-threatening which could have turned disastrous if the wearers had not sought medical aid.