During Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event, the company announced a new Apple Watch feature that can alert users to sleep apnea, a health condition that causes you to stop breathing during sleep.
The company said it expects to receive US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the feature “very soon”.
The feature will be supported on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
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“The sleep apnea notifications are expected to receive marketing authorisation from the FDA and other global health authorities soon, with availability this month in more than 150 countries and regions, including the US, the EU, and Japan,” Apple said.
The sleep apnea condition is estimated to impact more than 1 billion people worldwide, and in most cases, goes undiagnosed. If left untreated, it can have important health consequences over time, including increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiac issues, the company said.
To detect the condition, the supported devices use the accelerometer to monitor a new metric during sleep called “breathing disturbances,” and warn users if it detects signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.
“Because overall quality of sleep is important, Breathing Disturbances can also be used to assess restfulness of sleep. Breathing Disturbances can be influenced by alcohol, medications, sleep position, and more. Users can view their nightly Breathing Disturbances in the Health app, where they are classified as elevated or not elevated, and can be viewed over a one-month, six-month, or one-year period,” the tech giant said.
For more informed conversations with their healthcare providers, users can export a PDF that shows when sleep apnea may have occurred, three months of breathing disturbance data, and additional information, Apple mentioned.