Warning about portable electronics for people with heart devices

Don't carry your Apple AirPods Pro charging case in a front chest pocket if you have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a recent study cautions. The same warning applies to the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation and the Microsoft Surface Pen.

All three portable electronics (as well as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, as an earlier study noted) contain strong magnets that can interfere with the function of an ICD. These devices, surgically implanted in the chest, detect abnormal heart rhythms and deliver a shock if needed to restore normal rhythm. As reported in the March 1, 2022, issue of Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, the products can interfere with ICDs if they come within about an inch. Researchers performed multiple tests on the products using five ICDs from two different manufacturers. As they point out, the devices may cause a problem not only if you carry one in a shirt or jacket pocket in front of the chest, but also if you lie down and rest the device on your chest or fall asleep with the device.

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