Smart Phones are Not So “Smart” … Or Safe, By Brian Simpson

The study, "Hypothesis: Ultrasonography Can Document Dynamic In Vivo Rouleaux Formation Due to Mobile Phone Exposure," sheds light on the effects of smartphones' radiofrequency radiation on our bodies. It raises an important concern regarding the potential cardiovascular risks associated with prolonged smartphone exposure, particularly with regard to the formation of rouleaux—a condition where red blood cells aggregate abnormally, impairing blood flow and potentially increasing the risk for several cardiovascular issues.

Key Findings from the Study:

1.Rouleaux Formation and Blood Viscosity: The study observed that when a smartphone (in this case, an iPhone XR) was placed against the body for just 5 minutes, there was a noticeable change in the popliteal vein of a healthy volunteer. The once normal vein showed signs of rouleaux formation—a condition where red blood cells clump together. This aggregation of blood cells can lead to increased blood viscosity, which in turn, may impair tissue perfusion (the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues), and blood flow.

2.Prolonged Exposure Risks: Rouleaux formation, although transient in nature, can be a significant indicator of altered blood flow. This phenomenon could potentially cause long-term issues, such as:

oMicro-occlusions and micro-infarctions (small blockages in blood vessels), which might result in conditions like heart attacks or strokes.

oIncreased risk for conditions like deep venous thrombosis (DVT) due to poor blood circulation, potentially leading to blood clots.

oHypertension or other cardiovascular diseases due to the increased blood viscosity and poor blood circulation.

3.Global Exposure: The findings underscore how ubiquitous smartphone use is—many people carry their phones in pockets or hold them to their heads, leading to frequent and prolonged exposure. This repetitive contact could have cumulative, negative effects on cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals with underlying health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or previous thrombotic issues.

While the findings in this study are fascinating, they are based on a single volunteer, and the authors emphasise the need for further research. Larger sample sizes and studies assessing other body areas (such as the head, which is a common site of prolonged smartphone exposure) are necessary to fully understand the extent of the phenomenon.

This study shines a light on a growing concern regarding smartphones and their potential biological risks, particularly given the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) they emit. The cellular industry's stance on smartphones and their safety has been to assume their safety ("Assumed Safe, Not Proven Safe"). But this study suggests that the potential risks of prolonged EMF exposure to the body have not been adequately studied, and their impact on human health is still largely unknown.

We must consider the following potential dangers:

Cumulative Effects: Smartphones and other wireless technologies have become an everyday part of life, and chronic exposure to the emitted radiation could have long-term health consequences. The rising frequency of cardiovascular diseases, neurological issues, and even cancers in modern society may be linked, in part, to continuous EMF exposure.

Other Health Risks: While cardiovascular effects are a major concern, smartphones could also influence other biological systems. Neurological, endocrine, and immune systems could also be vulnerable to EMF-induced stress or changes in cellular function. Potential outcomes include:

oSleep disruptions, as EMFs from smartphones interfere with melatonin production, leading to poor sleep quality and related health issues.

oIncreased cancer risk, particularly brain tumours, as many people regularly hold their phones near their heads.

oHormonal imbalances due to radiation exposure affecting the endocrine system.

Given the potential risks highlighted by the study, there needs to be an urgent shift in both research and regulation regarding smartphone safety:

More rigorous scientific investigation is needed to explore the full range of health effects from chronic smartphone use and EMF exposure.

The current assumed safety of smartphones must be replaced with evidence-based safety standards.

Public awareness about the potential cardiovascular and overall health risks of smartphone usage should be raised, encouraging people to take precautions like limiting prolonged contact with phones and using protective measures like radiation-blocking cases.

In light of the potential risks posed by prolonged smartphone use, particularly in relation to cardiovascular health, it's critical that individuals, especially those with existing health risks, take precautionary measures. This includes:

Limiting prolonged exposure to smartphones by using hands-free devices, such as Bluetooth headsets or wired earphones to reduce exposure to the head.

Carrying phones in a bag or away from the body, rather than in pockets where prolonged exposure occurs.

Taking regular breaks to minimise the length of time smartphones are in direct contact with the body.

Using phone shielding products that claim to reduce radiation exposure.

The study's findings raise significant questions about the safety of smartphones and their effect on cardiovascular health, particularly through the phenomenon of rouleaux formation. While more research is needed, the study highlights a critical gap in our understanding of smartphone safety. Until further evidence is gathered, it's important to consider reducing exposure and promoting research that can offer a more definitive answer regarding the long-term risks of smartphone use. The current "assumed safe" stance is simply not enough to safeguard public health—it's time for a more cautious and proactive approach to the potential health effects of smartphones.

Personally, I do not use one at all, as inconvenient as that is.

https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/study-direct-smartphone-exposure

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1499499/full

"The study titled, Hypothesis: ultrasonography can document dynamic in vivo rouleaux formation due to mobile phone exposure, was recently published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine:

Carrying a cellphone against the body has become commonplace in our world replete with smartphones. Acute and chronic health effects caused by these devices emitting radiofrequency radiation from multiple antennas have not been well evaluated.

In this study, the popliteal vein of a healthy volunteer was imaged with ultrasonography prior to and following the placement of an idle, but active smartphone against her knee for 5 min [Apple iPhone XR smartphone operating on the AT&T mobile network—Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular data antennas were all turned on, but the phone was otherwise inactive and idle.].

Pre-exposure longitudinal sonographic images demonstrate a normal anechoic lumen to the popliteal vein. Images obtained 5 min after direct skin exposure to the smartphone demonstrate a dramatic change in the acoustic appearance of the vessel. The interior of the vessel became coarsely hypoechoic with sluggish flow seen in real-time images, a typical sonographic appearance for rouleaux formation. A follow up examination performed 5 min after the subject walked around yielded continued rouleaux formation in the popliteal vein, albeit less dramatic than that observed immediately post exposure. This revolutionary in vivo method to assess radiofrequency radiation induced rouleaux formation should be further pursued in the general population to determine its prevalence and if its occurrence provides a unique biomarker of exposure that may predict morbidity.

This study raises serious safety concerns about prolonged, direct exposure to smartphones. As the authors note:

Because tissue perfusion is inversely proportional to blood viscosity, the potential development of rouleaux formation from cellphone exposure is of great concern. Rouleaux formation creates a hypercoagulable state, and may impair oxygen delivery, contributing to tissue ischemia. If the red blood cell aggregation response is indeed systemic, it may have wide reaching multi-systemic effects, including the development or exacerbation of hypertension (10). Morbidity is determined by the patient's underlying health status. Ischemic heart disease, diabetes, prethrombotic states, cancer, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, and cerebrovascular insufficiency are among the risk factors that will increase the morbidity associated with the development of rouleaux (11). Although rouleaux is a transient phenomenon, the frequent use of cellphones throughout the day, and potentially other technology commonly found in today's society, may repetitively increase blood viscosity and contribute to micro-occlusions, micro-infarctions, and micro-gangrene. Excessive aggregation of erythrocytes can increase one's susceptibility to develop acute infections, myocardial infarction, and increase one's the risk for deep venous thrombosis (12).

It's entirely possible that this phenomenon could also occur in other areas of the body—particularly when a phone is kept in a pants pocket for extended periods or held next to the head during a call.

Urgent further investigation is needed to replicate these findings with larger sample sizes and to assess their relevance to other areas of the body. If you are at high risk for cardiovascular events, it may be wise to avoid direct, prolonged contact with your smartphone until these concerns are thoroughly evaluated.

All potential biological harms from smartphones and their emitted EMFs should have been thoroughly studied decades ago—before mass deployment. Unfortunately, the current trend in the cellular industry reflects a dangerous assumption: "Assumed Safe, Not Proven Safe."