A 17-year old researcher claims that iPods can affect pacemakers.
This latest pacemaker iPod study was conducted by Michigan high school student Jay Thayer and Dr. Krit Jongnarangsin, a University of Michigan cardiologist.
They studied 83 volunteers and concluded that the iPod interferes with pacemakers "nearly 30 per cent of the time". The study didn't look at the effect of other MP3 players or mobile phones on pacemaker patients – but it's possible the repercussions of the findings could eventually impact the whole industry.
An iPod was placed two inches from the chests of pacemaker patients, and then the music was turned on. iPod interference caused pacemakers to misread the heart's pacing, The Denver Post explains. In one case, the pacemaker stopped altogether.
At issue is the electromagnetic field such devices create, a field which seems to interrupt the pacemakers electronics.