While airport metal detectors are safe for people with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), the abdominal stimulator belts advertised on TV to tone muscles can interfere with the sophisticated medical devices, according to two recent studies.
"This is good news for pacemaker patients who travel frequently, but bad news for patients using these belts in hopes of strengthening their abdominal muscles," said Dr. Stephen Hammill, director of heart rhythm services for Mayo Clinic. "Anyone with a pacemaker or an ICD should not be using any kind of abdominal stimulator until further testing is done."
In the abdominal stimulator study, results showed that one of eight patients with pacemakers and 10 of 20 patients with ICDs experienced interference with their implanted devices after 30 seconds of abdominal stimulation with the commercially available AbEnergizer.
The metal detector study tested the effects of passing through a standard airport metal detector two times on 148 patients with ICDs. No interference was noted on any of the combination pacemaker-defibrillator devices.
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