Smartwatches and fitness bracelets can trigger a heart attack

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Smart watches and wrist devices like fitness bands can trigger heart attacks in vulnerable patients. University of Utah scientists say these gadgets can interfere with medical devices, particularly pacemakers . This is according to a new study published in the journal Heart Rhythm.

Scientists have concluded that high-tech watches that record the level of physical activity for those who care about their health are potentially dangerous for a small group of people. .This also applies to home smart scales and smart rings.

Gadgets radiate a very small, imperceptible current of electricity into the body, measured in microamps. Simulations and lab tests show that they can cause unnecessary shock to the heart.

In the case of a pacemaker that sends small electrical impulses to the heart when it beats too slowly, the tiny electrical current from such a gadget can make the heart think that it beats fast enough to prevent the pacemaker from doing its job when it needs to.

“If the pacemaker gets confused by interference, it may stop working during the time it is confused. If this intervention continues for a long time, the patient may lose consciousness or something worse,” says cardiologist-electrophysiologist Professor Benjamin Steinberg.

The study does not indicate an immediate or clear risk for patients using such gadgets , but this is the first step for further study.

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