Research presented at a European conference found that wearers of cardiac devices should keep a safe distance from smartphones. "Pacemakers can mistakenly detect electromagnetic interference (EMI) from smartphones as a cardiac signal, causing them to briefly stop working. This leads to a pause in the cardiac rhythm of the pacing dependent patient and may result in syncope. For implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) the external signal mimics a life threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmia, leading the ICD to deliver a painful shock," said study author Dr. Carsten Lennerz, of the German Heart Centre in Munich. Recommendations include holding the phone in the ear opposite the device and not placing it in a shirt pocket that covers the implant. More