Samsung Malaysia has announced that the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro smartwatches are finally supporting electrocardiogram (ECG) tracking and blood pressure monitoring. Similar to the Apple Watch, the feature is enabled after the Samsung ECG app obtained the necessary approvals from Malaysia’s Medical Device Authority (MDA).
The blood pressure and ECG tracking feature are made available starting 25th January 2023 in Malaysia. These features can help provide more data about your state of health and the results are saved on your device. The Blood Pressure monitoring feature uses the Watch’s internal Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to measure your systolic and diastolic pressure, as well as your pulse rate. To get started, make sure you’ve paired your Galaxy Watch 5 or 5 Pro to your Galaxy smartphone, and ensure that you’re running on the latest version of the software.
How to measure blood pressure on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5?
To measure your blood pressure, you must first set up your profile on the Samsung Health Monitor app on your watch and make sure the app is activated as well on your phone. The tricky bit is that you must calibrate the watch while having a cuff-based blood pressure monitor on your other arm.
For accurate calibration, Samsung recommends that you do not consume any alcohol or caffeine, do not smoke, exercise or bathe at least 30 minutes before calibration. They also recommend resting on a chair with your back well supported and letting your hands and forearms rest on the table for at least 5 minutes before starting the calibration. Just follow the instructions and then enter the reading that you get from the cuff-based blood pressure monitor into the blood pressure monitor app on your phone.
According to Samsung, you will need to measure 3 times within 3 days to complete the calibration. To keep the blood pressure measurements accurate, you will need to recalibrate the Galaxy Watch again with a cuff-based monitor every 28 days. Once you’re done, you can measure your blood pressure like how you would do to detect your heart rate. The results such as Systolic blood pressure (BP), Diastolic blood pressure (BP) and Pulse (heart rate) will be recorded and displayed when the measurement is successful.
How to take ECG measurements on your Galaxy Watch 5?
Taking an ECG measurement on the Galaxy Watch is quite similar to the Apple Watch. After the device is paired, just launch the Samsung Health Monitor and follow the on-screen instructions for ECG. To start the ECG reading, just rest your finger lightly on the home key on the right side of the Watch. Samsung recommends that the Watch is worn snugly on your wrist and avoid hard exercise for 5 minutes before the measurement.
Once the ECG measurement is successful, it will show the result as well as your average heart rate. The app will also let you know if you have a normal sinus rhythm or atrial fibrillation.
In case you’re wondering, the Samsung Health Monitor app has been registered under the Medical Device Authority Register recently and it is valid until 2027. Last month, Huawei launched the Watch D in Malaysia, which is the first smartwatch with a blood pressure monitor to be approved by our health regulators. Priced at RM1,999, the Huawei Watch D uses a dual-layer airbag in the strap to measure your blood pressure. This eliminates the need to regularly calibrate the watch with an actual blood pressure monitor.
On Samsung Malaysia’s website, the Galaxy Watch 5 is priced at RM1,099, while the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is now going for RM1,699. For more info about the new Blood Pressure and ECG features, you can refer to Samsung Malaysia’s Health Monitor page.
