Samsung Electronics is joining hands with Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, to expand digital health research using Galaxy Watch. The focus is to track changes in body composition and activity levels in patients taking GLP-1 class therapies with a wearable device to verify the potential for managing muscle mass.
Samsung Electronics said on the 28th that it is pursuing joint research with the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center using Galaxy Watch8 and Samsung Health.
GLP-1 is a type of incretin hormone secreted in the gut after meals that is involved in blood sugar control and appetite suppression. GLP-1 class therapies that mimic it have drawn attention for their weight loss effects, but there have also been concerns that the course of treatment can cause gastrointestinal issues, weight regain, and muscle loss.
The study focuses on confirming whether weight loss can be managed not only by tracking simple changes in body weight but also by monitoring changes in muscle mass and physical activity. It continuously analyzes daily changes in patients by using body composition, heart rate, and activity data provided by Galaxy Watch and Samsung Health.
The study will enroll 100 adult men and women beginning pharmacological treatment for weight loss. Researchers will divide them into two groups: one group will wear Galaxy Watch8 and receive body composition monitoring, physical activity tracking, and personalized exercise guidance. The other group will follow standard GLP-1 treatment guidelines, and the two groups will be compared for differences.
To verify accuracy, DXA scans, the standard equipment for body composition analysis, will also be used. DXA is an exam that precisely measures bone mineral density, body fat mass, and muscle mass by using low-dose radiation. Researchers plan to examine whether the group using Galaxy Watch8 shows a significant difference in preserving muscle mass compared with the standard treatment group.
Galaxy Watch8 is equipped with Samsung Electronics' BioActive Sensor. The sensor integrates an optical heart rate sensor, an electrical heart sensor, and a bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor into one technology, supporting the measurement of various health indicators such as body composition, heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram. Samsung Electronics has applied this sensor since Galaxy Watch4 in 2021.
In the digital health industry, the importance of post-treatment management technologies is growing alongside the expansion of the anti-obesity drug market. Because medication alone makes it difficult to guarantee long-term lifestyle changes and muscle mass management, the accumulation of daily data using wearable devices is emerging as a tool to supplement clinicians' treatment decisions. Samsung Electronics' latest study is seen as an attempt to expand smartwatches from simple health record devices into a preventive and management-focused healthcare platform.
Melissa Putman, director of the Diabetes Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, who is overseeing the study, said, "Many GLP-1 therapy patients struggle with the common side effect of muscle loss," and added, "By accumulating activity, heart rate, and body composition data through wearable devices, clinicians can gain a more comprehensive understanding of a patient's condition."
Choi Jong-min, senior vice president of the Digital Health Team in the MX Division at Samsung Electronics, said, "This collaboration focuses on the muscle loss and lifestyle management that real patients face while taking GLP-1 class therapies," adding, "It is an example that shows Samsung Electronics' efforts to provide comprehensive and preventive health management solutions through Galaxy Watch."
Samsung Electronics is advancing wearable-based health monitoring functions through collaborations with major medical institutions. In a joint study with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital this month, it confirmed the potential to predict vasovagal syncope early with Galaxy Watch, and last year it conducted research with Stanford University in the United States to enhance a sleep apnea detection solution.