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New research indicates that the newer, stronger magnets being used in products such as jewelry, toys, and even clothing pose life-threatening risks to people who wear implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) or pacemakers.
According to the Swiss investigators of the study, the magnets, made from neodymium-iron-born (NdFeB), interfere with the functioning of the medical devices causing potentially deadly health consequences.
“Physicians should caution patients about the risks associated with these magnets,” says cardiologist and lead author of the study Thomas Wolber. “We also recommend that the packaging include information on the potential risks that may be associated with these types of magnets.”
Study Details
Researchers tested their theory on 70 patients—41 of which had pacemakers and the rest ICDs. Two spherical eight and 10 millimeter magnets were placed on the chests of each patient including a necklace containing 45 magnets.
Every study participant experienced magnetic interference, which was resolved once the magnets were removed from the patients'' chests. Study authors point out that their research only involved the use of small magnets, which raises even larger concerns that more severe consequences may incur from bigger magnets.
In an editorial accompanying the study, published in Heart Rhythm, Huagui Li, M.D., a cardiologist at the Minnesota Heart Clinic writes, “The manufacturers that use magnets in these products should be required to put warning labels on their products in order to avoid serious health consequences for pacemaker or ICD patients.”
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