Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family
Pacemaker study leads to rash of "Granny's iPod" jokes
Many high school students are happy to get science projects done quietly, without attracting the attention of, say, the Associated Press. Not Jay Thaker. His research shows that an iPod held 2 inches from the chest can disrupt pacemaker function in some patients, which has caused a torrent of media furor over this previously unstudied and unquantified risk.Here at TUAW we don't give medical advice [You got that right. -Ed.] and we don't like to point out when big media stories about Apple products are silly, disproportionate or plain goofy... well, actually we do like to point that out. With all due respect to those who might be directly affected by this discovery, some points to consider:
- The study only examined iPods, no other portable media players (HD or flash-based) and so far I haven't found anything that says exactly what type of iPod was used. Is it the Shuffle that's causing skipped beats? What happens if I use a Sandisk player or a Zune? We need a control group... what about a vintage Sony Walkman?
- This isn't the first time we've been told portable electronic devices and pacemakers don't mix. Ten years ago, the first reports of cellphone interference came out. Users were (prudently) told to keep phones at least 6 inches from their chests, and the fuss blew over.
- One of the study's noted concerns was that the presence of an iPod could cause a physician to misread pacemaker telemetry during an exam. I'm not an expert, but are there any doctors that are in the habit of letting patients listen to their iPods during physical exams? Most of the time, one of you is naked, and hopefully it's not the doctor.
- As some of the study authors have noted, there's a reason this hasn't been a big issue: the overlap of "iPod owners" and "pacemaker patients" has not been a substantial population.
It's clear who the real losers are in this situation: the folks who, only a few days ago, introduced a new portable music player aimed at the DJ market: the Pacemaker. Ooch, that's gonna leave a mark.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Aaron said 2:12PM on 5-11-2007
Grandma had an acute Myocardial infarction..... jamming to my ipod christmas eve... etc =)
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Scott said 2:19PM on 5-11-2007
Doesn't Dick Cheney have an iPod, set up by one of his daughters? I'm sure I read that somewhere--maybe in Steven Levy's "The Perfect Thing". I know he's got a pacemaker.
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Murthy Badiga said 5:03PM on 5-11-2007
I agree with the gist of the article. iPods generally would be a non-issue as far as pace makers are concerned. A lot of electric/electronic devices have electro-magnetic fields and I suspect some degree of interference with pace makers. I am thinking of electrical razors, nose hair removers, etc.
With regard to physicians misreading the pace maker, I think the article implies not physical exam, but, distant or remote reading using phone lines. Of course, the doctor can simply advise the patient to stay away from electronic devices during the study.
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(01) said 8:03PM on 5-11-2007
Well, I'm still waiting for the report that everyone in my genreation is going to die from cell-phone induced brain tumors, but until that happens I guess I can wave goodbye to grandma and grampa as they listen to irosary :-)
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Parker said 8:32PM on 5-11-2007
This is such a dumb story. I'm 27 and have a pacemaker. I was born with a mild heart condition, which caused my heart to beat extremely slow when I sleep (around 25 bpm). Because of this it would cause my heart to grow and would cause problems later in life. So I've had my pacemaker for around six years.
Every doctor I know has been mentioning not keeping an ipod in your breast pocket since they became popular five or so years ago. Just like how you aren't supposed to use the old "cell" (non digital) phones on your left side, right side is fine, I guess the foot or so makes a difference.
Every couple months your doctor's office calls you to check the battery of your pacemaker (since mine only really goes on at night it lasts around nine years). You place a magnet on your chest which turns on your pacemaker, so they can check the battery life over the phone lines.
Since a hard disk makes a small magnetic field while spinning, if close enough it could conceivably turn on a pacemaker when not needed, and drain its battery over time.
I've been told me my nano is fine. I guess because of the flash drive? I think that would make sense.
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james said 11:58AM on 5-12-2007
the concern about the readings on the pacemaker have to do with the history that it keeps. so, if any device causes unnoticed regular fluctuations in heart rythym, and the doc read those on the history, he could mistakenly interpret that as a condition, when it really isn't. so, it's not about being examed. having said that, any doc worth his salt would know to ask "are you using any electronic devices regularly?" or some such thing. overall, nothing new, but good for patienbts to note.
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Gradster One said 4:50PM on 11-24-2009
2 - Ha, we wish.
Anyway, I took a look at the site and the pacemaker is going to make the pace, the thing's awesome. It's a DJ's dream with basically all the sound connections you could ever want and more than enough space for your muzak.
/gradster(1)/
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Maggie said 4:39PM on 5-23-2007
I'm 26 and have had a pacemaker for 6 years. I just had my generator changed out on Monday actually (my battery was low), so I got a packet of current info regarding pacer restrictions. No word of ipod use/limitations in this current literature. I'm sure it's just like the cell phone, don't place it directly over your pacer site and you're fine. I have had my nano for the past 2 years and it has never once interfered with my pacer. I wear it on my right side when I work out (the pacer is on the left) and it's fine. I always use my cell on the right side too, and the pacer is fine. I stand near microwaves, computers and all my other home appliances and it's fine! Most people have no idea what they're talking about when they say, "oh, so you can't be near a microwave." I have to explain that it's fine. In this day and age, most of our appliances, if they are grounded appropriately and in good working condition, are fine to stand near when you have a pacemaker.
The only thing I'm weary of are the metal detectors in airports. I still walk around them and get "the pat down" instead. I could recite the speech the woman gives me everytime she's about to pat me down (I travel a lot). I've had a doctor tell me it would probably be fine if I were to walk through one (because I almost did at a concert once... out of the context of the airport, I didn't think about it!) and I know another young person with a pacer who will actually walk through them, and it's fine. She said she just walks through quickly. I have read, in the literature provided by my MD, that I should walk quickly through the security devices at stores and not linger in the doorway near them. I wasn't told that originally, and never worried about it, so I'm sure I stood near those devices in the past waiting for someone... once again, I've had no problems with my pacer.
The trouble with being around electronic devices that send out an electro-magnetic field is that it messes with the pacemaker's settings. Mine is set to function on demand, so it only starts pacing my heart when my heart rate drops to 50. The computer chip in the generator is programed to start pacing when I'm at 50 bpm and then sense when my natural rythym can take over again. It is constantly monitoring my heart so that it knows when to kick in and when to shut off. I only use it about 3% of the time. The rest of the time it is off and my heart is beating on it's own.
If you are new to the pacemaker thing and are worried about what you can and can't do, just talk to your doctor. Most docs will surprise you because they are way more relaxed about it than you'd think. The more you do and the more you live your life with your pacer, the more you know these little suckers can with stand a lot. I've been on roller coasters, in a car accident, used a cell phone, done hot yoga, lifted weights, played ultimate frisbee, played with all sorts of portable electronic devices, traveled internationally, been on bumper cars, was a college cheerleader (and had it stepped on!!) and the list goes on and on! My pacer always checked out fabulously! I was always comfortable and I never thought twice after getting used to it!
Just like anything else, people like to get all hyped up. Just chill out, double check with your doctor and get on with life. You'll make a habbit of using electronics on the right side of your body and you won't even think twice about taking on your cell with the left ear or wearing an ipod on your left side! It's all good!
Also, the article comments on the overlap of ipod users and pacemaker uses not being a substantial population... are you kidding me?! There are a lot of us young people who have pacers and ipods! When I got my generator replaced Monday, they had just put a new pacemaker in on a 27 year-old girl right before me in that same surgical room! I just met a 42 year old this morning and I know a 19 year old who has one too! Plus, there is the other woman who commented on this post who is 27. Also, I work in the medical field, and I know a lot of "young" (as in 40's and 50's) who have pacemakers also... we're not just talking people in their 70's and 80's!!
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