May 10, 2007 7:07 pm US/Mountain
Teen Researcher: iPods Interfere With Pacemakers
by Ericka Lewis
DENVER (CBS4) ―
A high school student presented a study to a group of heart specialists Thursday that claims Apple iPods can cause cardiac implantable pacemakers to malfunction.
Jay Thaker, 17, decided to make the trendy music devices the focus of the major medical research study involving the heart. Specifically, Thaker wanted to know if an iPod could have an effect on a pacemaker's performance.
"We held it (by the heart), tuned it on and off a couple of times with four different iPods," Thaker said.
The study found using the iPod close to a pacemaker caused abnormally high heart rate readings.
"Usually it's below 100 beats per minute," Thaker said. "But we were seeing some recorded in the 170 to 190 beats per minute range."
In one case the iPod prevented the pacemaker from functioning correctly.
"Basically, as we brought the iPod closer to the pacemaker and turned it on, the pacemaker stopped pacing the heart for three beats and then resumed pacing again," Taker said.
Thaker was attending a heart rhythm conference in Denver. The teenager presented his findings to some of the best cardiologist in the world.
"It's not uncommon to have a high school student help with the research," cardiologist Dr. Krit Jongnarangsin said. "What surprised me the most is that he came up with the idea for the research."
Thacker did his study with researchers from Michigan State University. They found that iPods with photo and video capabilities created more interference with the pacemakers compared to the iPods that just played
Thacker also presented his findings at conferences in China in February and MSU last week. He hoped to enroll at MSU in the fall so he can work with some of the same researchers who were on his iPod project.
Both of Thaker's parents are doctors.
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