Electric cars pose no danger for patients with pacemaker
Are implanted every year in Germany, over 100,000 pacemakers. Affected patients are advised to be on certain electrical appliances carefully, as this is the function of the pacemaker can be disturbed. Electric cars, however, are not dangerous for people with pacemakers since, as a study showed.
Some electrical devices can function of cardiac pacemakers interfere
In the heart medicine have been achieved in the past years, tremendous progress. Scientists from the UK, have achieved positive results with the new pacemaker, which makes the actual Operation is unnecessary, as the device is pushed through a vein into the heart. And scientists from the United States reported on Experiments with a pacemaker without a battery, could get power from institutions. But despite all the innovations, patients with a pacemaker need to be still for certain electric devices carefully. So, for example, is advised often, Smartphones, pacemakers. For newer products, this Problem no longer seems to exist. To the flocks of some devices such as drills or induction of a specific security should be adhered to however distance. Because electric cars are people with a heart have a pacemaker, but apparently, no Worries.
Every year, more than 100,000 heart used a pacemaker new
As the German heart Foundation reports, in a communication, the suffering in Germany, several million people have heart weakness and heart rhythm disturbances.
Many of those Affected are in need for the regulation of your heart rhythm, a pacemaker or Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD/”Defi”).
According to the German heart report in this country are implanted per year, around 110,000 pacemaker and ICD.
Both heart disturbance may respond to implants susceptible to strong electromagnetic fields by the devices to interpret these fields as their own heart activity of the pacemaker – or ICD-carrier fail (so-called “over-sensing”) and, thereby, a dangerous Expose of the pumping work of the heart can provoke or ICD shock charges incorrectly.
Electric cars produce electro-magnetic field, so that of these vehicles, interference with pacemakers and ICD could go out.
Since the spread of electric cars and their use is likely to increase as a result of heart patients, is the interest of the heart medicine to the studies, whether this interference may be of concern. However, there is a lack to date of meaningful studies.
Uncertainty in cardiac patients
Therefore, the cardiologist, Dr. med. Carsten Lennerz, a senior physician at the German heart centre Munich (DHM), conducted an investigation, which should clarify whether for pacemaker and Defi-patients harmful interference from electric cars to go out, when Driving the car and Charging.
The work was awarded the August Wilhelm and Liselotte Becht research prize by the German Foundation for heart research (DSHF).
“For Doctors and for thousands of heart patients in the future to use more and more private-and business-electric cars, are the findings of this work,” said the heart surgeon and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of DSHF, Prof. Dr. med. Hellmut Mr. Davies.
“Reliable data will allow Doctors to give recommendations to their patients in this area and to take patients from unnecessary Fears.”.
The study was published in the journal “Annals of Internal Medicine”.
“A lot of pacemaker and Defi-makers to react because of the potential for interference, and often with great uncertainty on the part of new electrical equipment such as electric cars,” explained Lennerz.
“Our study should give patients and Doctors a more reliable data basis in order to avoid unnecessary restrictions on the use of electric cars.”
Study confirms safety of electric cars – for the time being
The researchers have four electric car models with the (at the beginning of the Study) the highest share of the market for 108 subjects with a pacemaker or ICD for all manufacturers tested (pacemaker/ICDs in the Following short “CIEDs”: Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices).
Each study participant received one of the four electric cars, and it has accelerated on a roll test stand to the maximum, up to 120 km/h and the car is then charged with electricity.
Was measured the electromagnetic field in and outside of the car when Driving and Charge. The interior of the car is very well shielded against electromagnetic fields.
According to the figures, the Charging current is, if anything, the critical Moment, because here the strongest electro-magnetic fields occur.
While driving on the roller dynamometer was recorded with the subjects, an electrocardiogram (ECG) to register by electromagnetic fields emitted interference, the CIED triggered function.
“Our investigations revealed no indication that the electric cars for heart patients serious electro out of electromagnetic interference, the CIEDs in their function could interfere,” said Lennerz.
“Malfunction of the heart implants due to the use of electric cars, therefore, are unlikely,” the expert said.
A durable all-clear, however, is not possible: “electric cars are developing in construction and charging technology rapidly, which may make in the future, new studies are needed.”
Dreaded Complications
CIEDs (pacemaker/ICD) have to be incorporated the function of the heart’s electrical signals and use these signals to control the CIED pulses. These pulses provide for uninterrupted pumping work of the heart.
CIEDs can perceive in the vicinity of an electromagnetic field signals, which have nothing to do with the beating of the heart to these signals, however, as a “heartbeat” fails to interpret (=electromagnetic interference).
According to the German heart Foundation, the device would expose this error, and the patient’s heart would no longer be sufficiently supported in its pumping work.
Defibrillators could also give falsely Shock therapy, if the electric would be interpreted in a magnetic field as a chamber-rhythm disturbance fail.
In addition, it is discussed that the electromagnetic fields could reprogram the implanted electrical cardiac devices. (ad)