Keep the doctor away, Apple health warning you don’t want to keep close to your chest

iPHONE users who have a pacemaker or other medical implants have been warned by Apple to keep their devices at least six inches from their chest, writes The Daily Mail, on Saturday April 1 .

The tech giant has warned that the magnets and electromagnetic field may interfere with the medical implants, which could potentially prove to be fatal.

The British Heart Foundation estimated in February 2023 that around 50,000 people in the UK are fitted with pacemakers each year. While around three million Americans have an implanted pacemaker and 200,000 have a defibrillator.

Apple issued an updated warning that stated, ‘Under certain conditions, magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices,’ including iPhone 13 and 14, AirPods, Apple watches and accessories, HomePods, Ipads, Macs and Beats headphones.

Last month Apple wrote in a blog post, ‘For example, implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact.

‘To avoid any potential interactions with these types of medical devices, keep your Apple product a safe distance away from your medical device.’

In 2021, Dr Michelle Wu, of Brown University said, ‘We have always known that magnets can interfere with cardiac implantable electronic devices, however, we were surprised by the strength of the magnets used in the iPhone 12 magnet technology.’

An irregular heartbeat increases the risk of suffering a stroke or heart failure. A pacemaker device sends electrical pulses to the heart that spurs it to beat at a regular rate.

Devices Apple warns to keep at least six inches from your heart

AirPods

• AirPods and charging case
• AirPods Pro and charging case
• AirPods Max and Smart Case

Apple Watch

• Apple Watch
• Apple Watch bands with magnets
• Apple Watch magnetic charging accessories

HomePod

• HomePod
• HomePod mini

Ipad

• iPad
• iPad mini
• iPad Air
• iPad Pro
• iPad Smart Covers and Smart Folios
• iPad Smart Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio
• Magic Keyboard Folio
• Magic Keyboard for iPad

Iphone

• iPhone 12 models
• iPhone 13 models
• iPhone 14 models
• MagSafe accessories

Mac

• Mac mini
• Mac Pro
• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• iMac
• Apple Pro Display XDR

Beats 

• Beats Flex
• Beats Studio Buds
• BeatsX
• Powerbeats Pro
• UrBeats3

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