Podcast Episode Summary

[0:00] Welcome, my name is Dr. Warrick Bishop. I'm a cardiologist, an author and a keynote speaker. I'm CEO of the Healthy Heart Network. I'm all about trying to help people [0:12] Live as well as possible. [0:13] for as long as possible. [0:15] Heart disease is huge in Australia. [0:18] Every 20 minutes someone suffers a heart attack. Most of these could probably have been avoided if only we knew what to do. [0:26] This podcast is all about helping you understand blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and [0:32] for better health. [0:33] If you enjoy this podcast, I would be honoured for a 5-star review. [0:37] you can share it with your family and friends. It may well save [0:41] Someone you love. [0:43] Hi, my name is Dr. Warrick Bishop and welcome to my podcast and [0:48] video cast station. Thanks for tuning in. [0:51] Look, today's a pretty quick one, and... [0:55] I'm going to introduce an interview I had with Illawarra ABC. And the back story to that is that in the region there was a particular area or postcode where [1:10] there was local government [1:13] or state government influences to make that [1:17] area or region [1:19] electric, 100% electric in fact. And that meant that even [1:25] Cooking needed to be done electrically. So... [1:31] In that region, there were some questions and concerns, and one of the questions and concerns centered on whether induction cooktops would impact oil. [1:42] the heart well [1:44] They can. [1:47] What I'm going to introduce is an interview where Silas, who's a... [1:53] Journal. [1:53] Okay. [1:54] A journalist intern asks me a number of questions about this particular topic, and it's already gone to air in the Illawarra. [2:08] Buckle up, have a listen, and enjoy this interview about... [2:15] Thank you. [2:16] induction cooktops [2:18] and pacemaker defibrillator devices. [2:24] Thank you. [2:25] They generate a magnetic field which oscillates, and that's how they generate heat. And pacemaker devices, defibrillators, are sensitive to magnetic fields. And is this a uniform risk amongst all people with pacemakers, or is it different depending on the model they have? Look, it's essentially any of our implantable devices can be impacted by a magnetic field, and we put in devices for slightly different reasons. [2:55] of the interference of the magnetic field. It could be slightly different for different individuals depending on the sort of device they have in. Have there been any recorded deaths? [3:05] Not that I'm aware of. [3:07] But there have been some interactions. Now, if there is an interaction between that magnetic field and the pacemaker, what tends to happen is the pacemaker goes into what would be called a safe mode. And it really just makes sure that it keeps moving. [3:25] firing away but doesn't take on board the sort of sensing that it normally would. This will generally revert back to the normal function of the pacemaker when the person moves away from the [3:37] the area of the induction cooktops. Does Australia have any official recommendations for people with pacemakers? Should they eschew getting an induction cooktop if they have a pacemaker? Look that's a good question Silas and it would be reasonable to think that [3:53] individuals who've had a pacemaker implanted would be wondering whether they should get an induction cooktop or not. As far as I'm aware, there's no blanket recommendation in our literature or from any of the major societies around the world that deal with pacemakers for individuals suggesting they do not get induction cooktop. But the manufacturers generally recommend that when it [4:23] Defibrillators are kept approximately a foot... [4:27] to two feet away. So how does that work? Well if you're right-handed, [4:33] and you have the device in the left shoulder pocket, which is the most common place where these devices go, if you're using your right hand to stir off in your left hand, [4:42] side will be slightly away from the device they recommend not to bend over the cooktops. [4:49] And there's also a suggestion that if you can have a... [4:52] a cooking pot or [4:56] pan that is the right size for the induction cooktop, then there's less leakage around the edge. So you better have a pan or a pot that's the right size or a little bit too big for the induction cooktop. [5:13] rather than too small. [5:15] And with growing popularity of these new kinds of stoves, do you think there's enough public awareness around this issue? I'm not sure that there's a lot of public awareness, to be honest, but I suspect that there is a good number of people who, as they have their pacemaker devices put in or similar devices put in, that issues around electromagnetic fields are raised and an awareness is brought to them. And that's [5:39] probably the most important group who need to be aware of it. Are there any other kinds of everyday use technologies that could put people with pacemakers at risk? [5:50] Well, look, anything that can generate a significant electromagnetic field, probably the things that we would think of as most significant are things like arc welders. So if we had an individual who had a device put in and one of their interests was arc welding, we would be very careful to make sure that they understood that they need to keep appropriate distances and, if necessary, shield the device from the electromagnetic field that would be generated. [6:20] medical devices that are also susceptible to these electromagnetic fields. [6:24] Well, the implantable prostheses used for hips and knees [6:30] can at times be warmed up a little bit by the magnetic resonance imaging scanners that we use. [6:39] But as far as other cardiovascular technologies, generally none of them are really impacted by the electromagnetic field. And one of the things that people often ask about and are concerned about quite reasonably are the little stents that we put in coronary arteries if someone's had a narrowing or a heart attack there. And those fine stents, those scaffolds that go in the artery, pleasingly don't seem to be impacted by external magnetic forces. [7:09] So, look, these are the main things to be concerned about, I think, Silas. [7:14] Hi. Well, I'm back. I hope you enjoyed that... [7:19] interview. It's an interesting space, isn't it? And certainly, in general terms, one [7:26] would think one has to exercise some caution. If you do have a device in place, I think it just behoves you to be sensible and realise that the electrical... [7:39] functioning of an induction cooktop which drives a magnetic field can then interfere with a pacemaker or a defibrillation device. Really important to understand that, just so you're not too close. [7:53] From everything I can see, there's not been any catastrophic outcome from it. [7:58] But there is common sense to apply. One of those things is to make sure... [8:05] that you... [8:06] Don't put... [8:08] the pacemaker over [8:10] the [8:11] induction cooktop plate [8:13] One of the other things is to try and keep the pacemaker at least a foot [8:18] and preferably two feet away from the induction cooktop plate. And lastly, to prevent leakage of the magnetic field around the pot, it's best to use pots that are either the right size for the induction plate, or the induction plate. [8:33] Or... [8:34] perhaps slightly too large, so that that magnetic field doesn't come out and potentially impact the device. [8:42] Well, I hope you found that interesting. I think it is a fascinating space. We do advise people to be cautious about electromagnetic fields when they have devices in. If you've got any queries or questions, drop us a note, as always. [8:55] We'd love to answer them for you. For now, thanks so much for tuning in. If you do enjoy my podcast, I'd be super grateful if you could subscribe on whatever platform you use. And I'd be really, really grateful if you could share it or even post it. For now, I do wish you the very best. I hope you live as well as possible for as long as possible. [9:19] Take care. [9:20] And bye for now. [9:23] Hi. Ever wondered what your risk of heart attack is? You should. It's the single biggest killer in the Western world. We're talking one death. [9:32] less than every 30 minutes in Australia one death [9:36] less than every sixty seconds in the United States, nine [9:41] million deaths globally. [9:43] per annum. Well how do you check your risk? Well you can go to [9:48] www.virtualheartcheck.com.au You'll find out about your risk and what can be done beyond that to be even more precise.