Warning to thousands over fears Fitbit devices could trigger deadly heart problems
PEOPLE with pacemakers could be at risk if they wear a smartwatch or Fitbit, experts have warned.
Scientists in the US found that electrical signals from fitness tracking gadgets such as smartwatches can interfere with the function of the heart devices.
Pacemakers are small electrical devices surgically implanted into a patient's chest to send electrical signals which keep their heart beating regularly.
Meanwhile, Smartwatches use a technology called bioimpedance to track a wearer's fitness.
They send a small, imperceptible current of electricity across the body to measure muscle, fat mass, stress levels and vital signs.
Experts from the University of Utah said this current could disrupt the electrical pulses that keep heart implants functioning.
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It can trick pacemakers into thinking the heart is beating correctly when it needs help.
One the study's author's, Professor Benjamin Steinberg, said: "We have patients who depend on pacemakers to live.
"If the pacemaker gets confused by interference, it could stop working during the duration that it is confused.
"If that interference is for a prolonged time, the patient could pass out or worse."
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Smartwatches could also give an unnecessary and painful electric shock to people with internal defibrillators.
The American research team noted that smart rings and smart scales could have a similar effect on pacemakers, though they showed lower levels of interference compared to smartwatches.
They named a few devices that use bioimpedance technology, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Empatica E4 smatwatches, the Fitbit Aria 2 and Withings Body Scan scales , and the Moodmetric smart ring.
The researchers warned that the study's findings "do not recommend the use" of such gadgets in people with pacemakers.
What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
Symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- coughing or wheezing
The chest pain from is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
Chest pain is the most common symptom in both men and women, but women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, back or jaw pain and feeling or being sick.
Lead author of the study Dr Benjamin Sanchez Terrones, a computer engineer at Utah University in the US, said: "This study raises a red flag."
Rather test their hypotheses on human subjects, the scientists used male and female computable models and simulated the electrical currents smartwatches and other gadgets might emit.
Dr Sanchez Torres called for "future clinical studies" on patients to test how their heart implants interact with fitness gadgets.
In the UK, pacemaker implantation is one of the most common types of heart surgery carried out.
The British Heart Foundation told The Sun up to 40,000 pacemakers are fitted in the UK each year.
Wearers are already warned about the potential for interference from a variety of electronics.
They are often cautioned against carrying a mobile phone in their breast pocket and urged to keep electronic devices at least six inches away from their pacemaker.
But Dr Sanchez-Terrones said this is the first time a study has raised concerns with the use of gadgets using bioimpedance technology in regards to pacemakers.
The study was published in the journal .
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James Leiper, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, told The Sun: “As more people wear smart watches and other devices with body monitoring technology, it is important to understand any potential interference they may cause with lifesaving medical devices like ICDs and pacemakers.
"This study is a first step in this process, however, more research needs to be done in this area to understand any effects in patients.”
