MP3 Player Headphones May Throw Off Cardi...( Study found they could cause interfer...),Health

Study found they could cause interference when placed too closely to pacemakers, ICDs

SUNDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Tucking the headphones for your iPod into your coat pocket might not be exactly heart-stopping, but it could interfere with the normal functioning of your implanted cardiac device.

Harvard researchers presenting Sunday at the American Heart Association's annual scientific sessions, in New Orleans, report that magnets in these headphones might throw off pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) when placed within an inch of the devices.

Although interference is unlikely to cause life-threatening problems, the authors of the study advise those with ICDs and pacemakers to keep headphones at least 1.2 inches from their device.

Others agreed.

"Don't put the device near your torso," recommended Dr. Peter Cheung, an assistant professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a cardiologist with Scott & White Hospital. "Instead of your breast pocket, put it in your pants pocket or purse, and don't let the speakers hang from your shoulder or neck."

"People need to take just as much care with their MP3 as much as they do with other sources of electromagnetic interference," said Dr. Daniel Morin, a staff electrophysiologist with Ochsner Health System in New Orleans.

Other possible interference can come from microwaves, theft detection devices in malls and stores, and other sources, but patients should be fine with routine use. "Just don't hug the microwave," Morin said.

Previous research has indicated that iPods have little, if any, effect on pacemakers and ICDs, and a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that interactions between MP3 players and implanted devices are unlikely.

But less attention has been placed on headphones.

The authors of this latest
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