A 17-year-old high school senior did more than stray from the pack with a study that shows how iPods interfere with pacemakers.

The young researcher presented his work Thursday, at the Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting, in Denver. Jay Thaker, a student at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan, reported that in his study he found that portable music players caused pacemakers to malfunction in 50% of patients.

He observed that treating physicians could be misled by the MP3 player’s effect on a patient’s pacemaker and consider the patient was having abnormal heart rhythms.

Thaker also noted that there would be a risk of patients being treated for conditions they’re not really suffering from, again due to the portable players’ interference with pacemakers.

“In addition, if an iPod stopped a pacemaker from working in a patient who was totally dependent on their pacemaker, it could cause the heart to stop,” he said.

The adolescent researcher collaborated with several doctors Michigan State University and the University of Michigan for his study. He and his collaborators worked with 83 patients. Thaker held an iPod at a distance of two inches from each patient’s chest, for 5 to 10 seconds.

“Telemetry interference” occurred in 29% of patients; “over sensing” (a pacemaker misreading the heart’s pacing) occurred in 20% of patients. One patient’s pacemaker stopped functioning altogether.

Pacemaker users are generally warned not to place electric devices such as cell phones or appliances near their pacemaker. With an iPod, it would be difficult to keep the portable player far from the user’s body. As it is, Thaker’s study found that there were cases of interference even when the iPod was 18 inches away from a patient’s pacemaker.

The high school student noted that pacemaker users don’t typically listen to music on iPods. He added that there is nevertheless a risk and that people should be informed.

Pacemaker patients are advised to not hold an iPod in their breast pocket or anywhere near their heart.