Translational implications of bradyarrhythmia in hibernating brown bears

• Published in: Physiological reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. e15550 - n/a
• Main Authors: Gottlieb, Lisa A., Evans, Alina L., Fuchs, Boris, Fröbert, Ole, Björkenheim, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.01.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Ablation; Adaptation; Animals; Blood pressure; bradyarrhythmia; Bradycardia - etiology; brown bear; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac Output - physiology; Case Report; Diabetes; Energy consumption; Fainting; Heart - physiology; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Hibernation; Hibernation - physiology; Humans; Metabolism; Pacemakers; Pathology; Patients; Physiological adaptation; Physiology; Respiration; sinus arrest; sinus node disease; sinus pause; syncope; translational model; Ursidae - physiology; Ursus arctos; Sweden; sinus pause; Ursus arctos; sinus node disease; brown bear; syncope; bradyarrhythmia; hibernation; sinus arrest; translational model
• ISSN: 2051-817X; 2051-817X
• DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15550

The brown bear Ursus arctos undergoes exceptional physiological adaptions during annual hibernation that minimize energy consumption, including profound decrease in heart rate, cardiac output, and respiratory rate. These changes are completely reversible after the bears reenter into the active state in spring. In this case report, we show episodes of sinus arrest in a hibernating Scandinavian brown bear and in humans, recorded by implantable loop recorders and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms. Lessons learned from cardiac adaptations in hibernating bears might prove useful in the treatment of patients with sinus node dysfunction. We show episodes of sinus arrest in a hibernating Scandinavian brown bear and in humans, recorded by implantable loop recorders and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms.