VIENNA, AUSTRIA – A new study claims women with breast implants are at greater risk of heart attacks or heart attack misdiagnosis.
Researchers say the implants may disrupt the detection of symptoms by an electrocardiogram (EKG), or give bad readings by the device.
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The Telegraph reports the study shows routine tests used to diagnose cardiac problems in women were less reliable if the patient had breast implants.
When presenting the study at a heart conference in Vienna, the researchers showed that readings given to women who had undergone breast enlargement surgery were far less accurate.
Without a proper reading, women are at risk for symptoms being missed or misdiagnosed.
In an EKG, electrodes placed on the chest measure the electrical activity of the heartbeat.
In the study, between 38 percent to 57 percent of scans of women with implants were found to be "abnormal." When those same women were given additional tests, they were found to be healthy.
Women with implants are urged to advise their doctors before undergoing an EKG test.