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Cardiovascular

The safety of digital mobile cellular telephones with minute ventilation rate adaptive pacemakers

No Effects Found

Sparks PB, Mond HG, Joyner KH, Wood MP · 1996

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Rate-adaptive pacemakers showed minimal interference from 900-MHz mobile phones, with reliable performance at normal sensitivity settings.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested whether 900-MHz digital mobile phones could interfere with rate-adaptive pacemakers (devices that adjust heart pacing based on breathing patterns). They exposed 16 implanted pacemakers to simulated phone signals and found that at maximum sensitivity settings, 11 of 16 devices showed no interference, while 5 experienced brief effects like extra heartbeats or pauses. When programmed to normal sensitivity levels, only one device showed rare single-beat triggering, demonstrating these pacemakers perform reliably around mobile phones.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 900-MHz

Study Details

In vitro tests suggest that rate adaptive pacemakers using changes in transthoracic impedance to vary pacing rate may be affected by digital mobile telephones. Electromagnetic fields generated by digital mobile telephones (Global System for Mobile [GSM]) represent a potential source of electromagnetic interference (EMI) for the Telectronics META rate adaptive pacemakers, which use transthoracic impedance as a sensor to determine changes in minute ventilation.

Sixteen implanted Telectronics META pulse generators were exposed to 25-W simulated GSM transmission...

At maximum sensitivity, 11 of 16 devices displayed no evidence of EMI. Brief ventricular triggering occurred in 2, a brief pause in 1, a combination of both in 1, and a brief episode of pacemaker-mediated tachycardia in 1. With pulse generators programmed to more routine sensitivities, only one device displayed rare single beat ventricular triggering. No changes in minute ventilation rate adaptive pacing were observed. At maximum unipolar sensitivities, the META series of rate adaptive pacemakers are resistant to clinically important EMI from digital mobile telephones. Set at routine sensitivities, these devices perform reliably in the presence of digital mobile telephones.

Cite This Study
Sparks PB, Mond HG, Joyner KH, Wood MP (1996). The safety of digital mobile cellular telephones with minute ventilation rate adaptive pacemakers Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 19(10):1451-1455, 1996.
Show BibTeX
@article{pb_1996_the_safety_of_digital_3415,
  author = {Sparks PB and Mond HG and Joyner KH and Wood MP},
  title = {The safety of digital mobile cellular telephones with minute ventilation rate adaptive pacemakers},
  year = {1996},
  
  url = {https://eurekamag.com/research/047/733/047733773.php},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

A 1996 study found that 900 MHz digital phones cause minimal interference with minute ventilation rate-adaptive pacemakers. At maximum sensitivity, 11 of 16 devices showed no interference. At normal settings, only one device experienced rare single-beat triggering, demonstrating reliable performance around mobile phones.
Rate-adaptive pacemakers perform reliably around digital mobile phones according to research testing META series devices. When programmed to routine sensitivity levels, only one of 16 pacemakers showed rare interference. No changes occurred in minute ventilation rate adaptive pacing functionality during phone exposure.
At maximum sensitivity settings, 5 of 16 rate-adaptive pacemakers experienced brief effects from 900 MHz digital phone signals, including extra heartbeats, pauses, or brief tachycardia episodes. However, these effects were temporary and not clinically significant for most devices tested.
META series rate-adaptive pacemakers are resistant to clinically important electromagnetic interference from 900 MHz digital mobile phones. Research showed these devices perform reliably at routine sensitivity settings, with only minimal interference observed during testing with simulated phone signals.
Breathing-based (minute ventilation) pacemakers showed no changes in their rate-adaptive pacing function when exposed to digital mobile phone signals. The 1996 study found these specialized pacemakers maintain proper operation around 900 MHz phones, even at maximum device sensitivity settings.