Apple issues health warning to millions to keep iPhone six inches from their chest – saying the device could interfere with pacemakers
Apple warns users with a pacemaker or other implanted medical device to keep their iPhone at least six inches away from their chest.
The tech giant warns that magnets and the electromagnetic field may interfere with the functions of machines – which could prove fatal.
It is estimated that about 3 million Americans have an implanted pacemaker and 200,000 have a defibrillator.
Apple’s updated warning now includes the latest generation iPhone 13 and 14. Airpods, Apple Watches and accessories, HomePods, iPads, Macs, and Beats also should not be placed near the chest of a person with an implant.
Last month, a study found that people who use FitBits, Apple Watches, and other similar devices can interfere with implanted devices.
Apple is now warning iPhone 12, 13 and 14 users to keep the device at least six inches away from their chest if they have a pacemaker or ICD implanted (file photo)
“Under certain circumstances, magnets and electromagnetic fields may interfere with medical devices,” Apple wrote in a blog post.
For example, pacemakers and implantable defibrillators may contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when they are in close contact.
To avoid any potential interactions with these types of medical devices, keep your Apple product at a safe distance from your medical device.
Many electronic devices carry these risks, and people who receive these implants are usually aware of them.
These warnings appeared with the launch of the iPhone 12 in October 2020. Months later, the American Heart Association warned about the magnets in it.
“We have always known that magnets can interfere with implantable electronic devices in the heart, however, we were surprised by the strength of the magnets used in the iPhone 12 magnet technology,” said Dr. Michelle Wu, a researcher at Brown University. He said in 2021.
More generally, magnets can change the timing of a pacemaker or deactivate the life-saving functions of a defibrillator, and this research indicates the need for everyone to be aware that electronic devices with magnets can interfere with electronic devices implanted in the heart.
A pacemaker may be implanted when he or she suffers from bradycardia, a condition that occurs when the heart beats too slowly.
It may also be used in rare cases of tachycardia, when the heart is beating too fast or at an irregular rate.
An irregular heartbeat increases the risk of a stroke or heart failure.
The pacemaker sends electrical impulses to the heart that stimulate it to beat at a regular rate.
Some people with arrhythmias may receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
These medications are used for people who have been diagnosed with ventricular arrhythmias, a disease that forms when a person’s irregular heartbeat is pushed out of the lower chest.
It will sometimes deliver an electric shock to the heart when it detects that the heartbeat has gone out of rhythm.
