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Physiological Reports
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
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PubMed Central
Article . 2025
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PURE Aarhus University
Article . 2025
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Seasonal variations in ventricular repolarization and tachyarrhythmias in hibernating brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos)

Authors: Lucas Alexander Lindberg; Boris Fuchs; Alina Lynn Evans; Timothy Laske; Anna Björkenheim; Ole Fröbert; Lisa Amalie Gottlieb;

Seasonal variations in ventricular repolarization and tachyarrhythmias in hibernating brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos)

Abstract

AbstractIn humans, hypothermia prolongs ventricular repolarization and associates with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In bears, body temperature drops during hibernation similar to moderate human hypothermia, yet they rarely face fatal outcomes during the winter. This suggests protective adaptations in bear electrophysiology. We studied seasonality in ursine ventricular repolarization by analyzing >1 year electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings from loop recorders implanted in 57 free‐ranging Eurasian brown bears. In sinus rhythm, bears exhibited significantly longer RR, QT, and Tpeak‐Tend intervals (2441 ± 470, 508 ± 50, and 53 ± 8 ms, respectively) during hibernation than in the active period (649 ± 323, 232 ± 39, and 29 ± 5 ms, respectively). Optimal heart rate correction of QT interval (QT/RR0.435) demonstrated significant prolongation during hibernation. QT and Tpeak‐Tend intervals remained longer during hibernation than in the active period, even when comparing ECGs with similar RR intervals in the two periods. Ventricular fibrillation occurred in four bears shot during licensed hunting in summer, which led to death. In conclusion, seasonal variations in ventricular repolarization in bears appear, at least partially, independently of heart rate. Compared to humans, ventricular repolarization is slower but more homogeneous. These findings, combined with the absence of fatalities during hibernation, support the theory of protective electrophysiological adaptations in bears. Insights into the underlying mechanisms have biomimetic potential for human therapy.

Keywords

QT interval, Male, electrocardiography, Heart Ventricles, brown bear, electrophysiology, Electrocardiography, Heart Rate, Hibernation, Tachycardia, Animals, Original Article, Female, Seasons, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, hibernation, Ursidae

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
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