iPods may cause pacemaker malfunction

By Liz Welter
Marshfield News-Herald

Grandma or Grandpa probably aren't tuned into an iPod.

But if they have a pacemaker, someone else's use of a portable music player can cause problems.

iPods were used in a study which demonstrated that the devices caused 50 percent of the pacemakers to malfunction.

The study found that iPods affected the pacemakers for a distance of up to 18 inches. In one case the pacemaker stopped working.

"Most older people don't have iPods, but they might have a pacemaker," said Dr. Shereif Rezkalla, a Marshfield Clinic cardiologist .

"I recommend to people, if they have a pacemaker, don't use an iPod. If sitting on an airplane or bus, and someone is using an iPod, please ask him to not use it and tell him that it might interfere with your pacemaker," Rezkalla said.

Patients are warned that many electric devices, such as cellular phones, can cause a malfunction, especially if placed close to the pacemaker.

The study was conducted at the University of Michigan and was presented at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society

8 Comments

iPods

by tachybrady - 2007-05-13 08:05:52

Thank you for the update. Many of my friends, and my husband, have them.

Thanks for that information

by Rewiredaussiegirl - 2007-05-13 09:05:06

Thanks for that information Blake.
I often travel on the train or bus .
I am thinking of taking a printout of that to show to people in case they dont believe me.-Kay

Few problems

by TR - 2007-05-13 10:05:23

This grandpa has used an ipod for a couple years and has never had a problem. Also, my cellular phone has never caused a problem. Most of the time, I do not even know the pacie is there. I guess I am one of the lucky ones. The only noticeable problem I ever had was last week when I was using a sawz-all. I could feel "something wasn't right" in my chest and gave the sawz-all to my brother-in-law to finish the job. As soon as I got some distance away from the saw-all, I was fine again.

ipods

by jessie - 2007-05-14 01:05:57

i am so glad for this site. my grandaughter received an apple ipod a year ago and it was after they left for the month for home in alberta that i had my implant. she is eleven now and coming for august. i told her mother keep the ipod in alberta and don't have it anywhere close to me thank you very much.. they think it is funny but my husband said no it is a serious thing it can shut the pacemaker down completely. lol lovely. so anyone else with one needs to take it very seriously jessie

iPods

by Meerkats - 2007-05-14 08:05:36

Grrr...while I appreciate the information, (I have always felt it prudent to keep mine away from my device, just like my cell phone), some of the comments from the reporters and doctors irks me.

First of all, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE OLD TO NEED A PACEMAKER OR ICD. Sorry to shout, but I'm really tired of answering the "gosh, aren't you too young to have a pacemaker/ICD?" I have congenital heart block...I probably should have had a pacer when I was a baby and I'm lucky I didn't die. Ok...so maybe I'm sensitive, but to start out an article with "Grandma and Grandpa..." does a disservice to those of us trying to educate others that pacers don't equal "old."

Secondly, who says older people, even grandparents, aren't cool enough to have iPods?

Ok...rant over. :)

letter to editor

by Meerkats - 2007-05-14 09:05:23

Ok...so I decided to do something about the misconception regarding pacemakers and "old." I sent this letter (or a version of it) to my two local papers and to the reporter above. For anyone else who feels the same, feel free to copy any or all of this completely if you want to right to your local news outlet. I guess I figure if I don't do my part to educate the masses, who will?


Dear Editor,

I’m writing to you regarding the recent article “iPods may cause pacemaker disruption” that you ran in your paper.

While I certainly appreciate the effort to inform the public regarding the potential problems with iPods and pacemakers, I feel like I needed to contact you to point out one small thing. The tone of your article (and all of those I’ve seen on the topic) implies that only elderly people, Grandma and Grandpa, have pacemakers.

Last year, I was implanted with a pacemaker a week after I turned 40 years old for a condition called complete congenital heart block, which means that I was born with a faulty electrical system in my heart. I was very lucky that I never experienced sudden cardiac death because of my condition, many people do not survive with this. For some reason, I did fine and the condition wasn’t discovered until I was an adult. The only way to ensure that I wouldn’t suffer sudden cardiac death was to get a pacemaker. Since then I’ve had to be upgraded to an ICD for an additional problem that the pacemaker discovered – again, something I was born with.

I have talked to many younger people than I who have pacemakers or ICDs. Many of them were born with similar electrical issues and some have had their devices since they were infants. In a world where we are able to save babies born with heart abnormalities, which can result in cardiac electrical problems immediately or later in life, pacemakers and ICDs are not just for the elderly.

I know it seems like a small thing to be so sensitive about, but I am constantly answering to people asking, “Wow, aren’t you too young to need a pacemaker?” While it is true that pacemakers are used in the elderly, often because a heart attack (which is different from cardiac arrest, heart attacks are blockage, arrest is electrical) damages the electrical system, there is a significant population of those who need pacemakers that have nothing to do with age or exercise or eating right or anything other than unlucky circumstances at birth.

Again, I appreciate your commitment to informing the public on health issues and just wanted to take the opportunity to share some information you might not be aware of.

Thank you for your time.

Good one

by dettiger2003 - 2007-05-14 10:05:10

I am 25 I have had a pacemaker since I have been four and I absoultely hate hearing that wow I am much to young to have a pacemaker it makes me want to scream. Especially when I try to explain everyone has a pacemaker. It is called your sinus node. Mine is just lazy... and people always say well your much to young or my favorite good luck with that one. I have never once had a problem with my ipod but I don't hold it over my pacemaker either. I don't really think anyone with a pacemaker is going to be holding it by there pacemaker. That's like giving everyone with a pacemaker a free ticket to the musuem of magnets

iPods and Pacemakers

by kubie1955 - 2007-05-14 12:05:37

I have had a pacemaker for almost 4 years now and an iPod for almost 2 years. I have never experienced a problem, but most of the time I have the iPod sitting by my computer keyboard and playing through the speakers rather than on my person. Thanks for the warning. I'll be cautious and let everyone know if I experience any problems in the future. I wonder, is this just iPods or all MP-3 players? My wife had a generic MP-3 player that she uses while in the car next to me.

kubie1955

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