A new study presented at Heart Rhythm 2013 by a California High School freshman discovered that iPad 2s may interfere with heart implants and may forestall life-saving anti-tachycardia therapy in patients.

Heart implants can be affected by magnets and radiofrequency energy in products such as cell phones and MRI machines. Cardiac devices impacted by magnets can switch to magnet mode and potentially suspend live-saving therapy. In order for a cardiac device to be affected, a magnet must be placed in closed proximity to the device. According to a news release from the Heart Rhythm Society this is the first study to examine the iPad 2 as a possible source of electromagnetic interference.

Study author Gianna Chien, a freshman at Lincoln High School in Stockton, California, said that iPad 2s utilize magnets to keep the cover firmly secured to the tablet. She was motivated to study the iPad 2 as a possible source of EMI because people hold their iPads so close to their heart. She said that she wants her findings to encourage cardiac patients to discuss the use of a tablet like the iPad 2 with their doctor before purchasing or continuing to use one.

During the study, 25 patients with heart implants held iPad 2s at reading distance and also held them to their chest to simulate falling asleep while working on the iPad 2. Chien found that 30 percent of patients had magnet mode triggered when the iPad 2 was placed on their chest.  However, EMI was not detected when the tablet was held at reading distance.

Chien first shared her findings at the 55th annual San Joaquin County Science Fair in March. Since then, she has won numerous other awards and honors. The press release notes that Walter Chien, Gianna’s father and a cardiologist with Central Valley Arrhythmia, helped supervise patient testing.

Does this warrant a warning label for cardiac patients on iPads and other tablets or is additional research necessary? Share your thoughts in the comments section.