Study: Headphones interfere with pacemakers, ICDs
Headphones can cause problems for people with pacemakers, according to a new study.
Most ear buds and headphones contain a powerful magnet. It turns out these magnets can interfere with pacemakers and other implanted heart-regulating devices.
Like many of us, Hugh Stauffer wears headphones to listen to his favorite tunes when he walks. He also has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, on his chest just under the skin.
Both ICDs and pacemakers keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm.
"I worried about big magnetic fields. Headphones never crossed my mind," Stauffer said.
Most mp3 headsets contain a powerful magnet. Lab tests and tests with patients who the magnetic fields given off are powerful enough to interfere with battery-powered heart implants.
The study, which was conducted in Boston, found nearly one in four of the patients had a "clinically meaningful interaction" when the headphones were directly over their pacemakers or ICDs. In other words, the devices malfunctioned.
"For pacemakers this means the device is forced to deliver signals to the heart to cause the heart to beat without regard to the patient's underlying heart rhythm.
"For implantable defibrillators, this means the device was temporarily deactivated. It would stop looking for dangerous heart rhythms and it would not treat a dangerous heart rhythm should one occur while the headphone was on top of the device," Stauffer said.
This happened even when the headphones were not connected to the music player.
Dr. William Maisel, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, led the study, and says patients and family members must be careful to keep headphones at least 1.5 inches away from these devices.
"So patients who wear their headphones in their ear are not at risk for having an interaction with their device," he said.
"However, if they place their headphones in their front pocket or if they drape their headphones over their chest, then they are at risk for having an important interaction and they should avoid doing those things."
The findings were just presented at the American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans. It's important to understand that interaction only occurs while the headphones are in close proximity to implantable cardiac devices. Once the headphones are moved, the device functions normally again.
Most ear buds and headphones contain a powerful magnet. It turns out these magnets can interfere with pacemakers and other implanted heart-regulating devices.
Like many of us, Hugh Stauffer wears headphones to listen to his favorite tunes when he walks. He also has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, on his chest just under the skin.
Both ICDs and pacemakers keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm.
"I worried about big magnetic fields. Headphones never crossed my mind," Stauffer said.
Most mp3 headsets contain a powerful magnet. Lab tests and tests with patients who the magnetic fields given off are powerful enough to interfere with battery-powered heart implants.
The study, which was conducted in Boston, found nearly one in four of the patients had a "clinically meaningful interaction" when the headphones were directly over their pacemakers or ICDs. In other words, the devices malfunctioned.
"For pacemakers this means the device is forced to deliver signals to the heart to cause the heart to beat without regard to the patient's underlying heart rhythm.
"For implantable defibrillators, this means the device was temporarily deactivated. It would stop looking for dangerous heart rhythms and it would not treat a dangerous heart rhythm should one occur while the headphone was on top of the device," Stauffer said.
This happened even when the headphones were not connected to the music player.
Dr. William Maisel, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, led the study, and says patients and family members must be careful to keep headphones at least 1.5 inches away from these devices.
"So patients who wear their headphones in their ear are not at risk for having an interaction with their device," he said.
"However, if they place their headphones in their front pocket or if they drape their headphones over their chest, then they are at risk for having an important interaction and they should avoid doing those things."
The findings were just presented at the American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans. It's important to understand that interaction only occurs while the headphones are in close proximity to implantable cardiac devices. Once the headphones are moved, the device functions normally again.