Seoul, Oct 6 : The new sleep apnea feature on the Samsung Health Monitor app has been approved by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), and will be coming to Galaxy Watch series in Korea early next year. The new feature is expected to enable more people to spot obstructive sleep apnea symptoms in early stages which often goes undiagnosed and untreated, the company said in a statement. It will be made available on Galaxy Watch series in Korea via Samsung Health Monitor app updates beginning early next year. 'With the new sleep apnea feature on Galaxy Watch series, we are providing users with a simple, proactive tool to recognise this disorder in its earliest possible stages before their condition worsens,' said Hon Pak, Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, MX Business at Samsung. Sleep apnea causes someone to stop breathing while asleep, which can result in disruptions in oxygen supply, lower sleep quality, and other health complications such as hypertension, cardiac disorder, stroke or cognitive disorder. By leveraging Galaxy Watch's BioActive Sensor, the sleep apnea feature monitors blood oxygen levels during sleep and identifies moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea by analysing how the detected blood oxygen values change to apnea/hypopnea, then estimates Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). Users are simply required to track their sleep twice, each time more than 4 hours, within 10 days to gauge whether they have these symptoms, said the company. The sleep apnea feature joins blood pressure monitoring, electrocardiogram (ECG) detection and irregular heart rhythm notification (IHRN) as the latest addition to the Samsung Health Monitor app. The company maintained that the sleep apnea feature is only a pre-diagnosis tool and is not meant to replace diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. /IANS