Nature Communications (Apr 2021)

Distinct circadian mechanisms govern cardiac rhythms and susceptibility to arrhythmia

  • Edward A. Hayter,
  • Sophie M. T. Wehrens,
  • Hans P. A. Van Dongen,
  • Alessandra Stangherlin,
  • Shobhan Gaddameedhi,
  • Elena Crooks,
  • Nichola J. Barron,
  • Luigi A. Venetucci,
  • John S. O’ Neill,
  • Timothy M. Brown,
  • Debra J. Skene,
  • Andrew W. Trafford,
  • David A. Bechtold

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22788-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Cardiac function fluctuates greatly across the day and night, but this is not simply a consequence of our changing behaviour. The authors highlight the role of the body’s circadian clock in regulating the heart electrical activity, including a time-of-day dependent susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias.