Magnets in earphones may disturb heart devices such as pacemakers, according to a new report by the American Heart Association.

The magnets in the headphones could interfere with heart devices if placed directly on the chest. Such devices could be even more dangerous for defibrillator patients, as they may temporarily deactivate the device. Pacemakers are intended to improve slow heart rhythms. However, exposure to magnets may cause them to signal the heart to beat faster, even when it is not required.

In the new study, researchers experimented with eight types of headphones attached to Ipods and tested them on 60 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). They used two types of earphones, earbuds or clip-ons, but not the noise-cancelling device used by business travellers and disc jockeys.

Electromagnetic interference was recorded in 14 patients, accounting for 23 per cent of the tested patients, when the headphones were placed on the chests of patients, directly over the ICDs. However, no interference was recorded when the headphones were placed 3cm, or nearly 1.2 inches, or more above the skin. X

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