Key result
Implantable loop recorders document reversible sinus arrests up to ~48 seconds during brown bear hibernation.
Why the study?
Hibernating brown bears undergo reversible profound bradycardia, offering potential translational insights into the mechanisms and treatment of human sinus node dysfunction.
Case Report (n=3)
No
Cardiac adaptations observed in hibernating bears, such as reversible sinus arrest, may provide translational insights for treating sinus node dysfunction in humans.
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.
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Gottlieb et al. (2023) conducted a case report in Sinus node dysfunction and bradyarrhythmia (n=3). Implantable loop recorder monitoring during hibernation or after syncope vs. Active state (bear) or baseline sinus rhythm (humans) was evaluated on Duration of sinus arrest.
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