The MagSafe technology that is featured on certain Apple iPhone models might pose a risk to people with pacemakers. The American Heart Association has issued a warning about the possible interference from the MagSafe for people at risk.
According to an AHA research paper, the pacemaker made by three major brands, including Medtronic, Abbott, and Boston Scientific, were all vulnerable to magnetic interference. In other words, this is potentially quite dangerous for people that have these pacemakers as they might not work correctly. For those unaware, pacemakers are a small device that is used to treat arrhythmia, which causes the heart to beat too fast or too slow or even erratic at times.
AHA noted that “Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max MagSafe technology can cause magnet interference on CIEDs [more commonly known as pacemakers] and has the potential to inhibit lifesaving therapy.” MagSafe from the Cupertino based giant offers wireless charging capabilities and uses magnets to quickly charge devices. Furthermore, the number of magnets housed in the iPhone 12 models is higher than those present in the earlier versions of the device.
When the iPhones were placed close to 11 different pacemakers and defibrillators, with some implanted in patients and others not. This test resulted in three of the internal devices registering some interferences along with eight of the external ones as well. These interferences could potentially lead to “asynchronous pacing or disabling of anti‐tachycardic therapies.” In a previous statement, Apple had suggested people with pacemakers keep the iPhone and MagSafe accessories more than six inches away from their devices.
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