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Heart Failure and Arrhythmias: Circadian and Epigenetic Interplay in Myocardial Electrophysiology

Chen Zhu1, Shuang Li1, Henggui Zhang1,2,3

  • 1Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, (Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases), Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646099, China.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|March 27, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Circadian rhythm disruptions in heart failure are linked to dangerous arrhythmias. Understanding the interplay of clock proteins, electrophysiology, and epigenetics may reveal new therapeutic targets for cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Chronobiology
  • Molecular Cardiology

Background:

  • Circadian rhythm disruptions are increasingly linked to cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
  • In heart failure, circadian clock dysregulation impacts myocardial electrophysiology and epigenetic pathways, contributing to adverse outcomes.
  • These disruptions can precipitate life-threatening arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the complex connections between circadian rhythms, myocardial electrophysiology, and heart failure-related arrhythmias.
  • To investigate the role of circadian clock proteins and epigenetic modifications in cardiac remodeling and arrhythmia development.
  • To identify potential therapeutic targets for counteracting circadian disruption effects on cardiovascular health.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes current evidence from preclinical and clinical studies.
  • It examines the molecular mechanisms linking circadian clock proteins to electrophysiological remodeling.
  • The review analyzes the role of epigenetic modifications in heart failure-associated gene regulation.

Main Results:

  • Circadian clock dysregulation in heart failure leads to cardiomyocyte electrophysiological remodeling.
  • Epigenetic modifications are implicated in regulating genes involved in cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation.
  • The interplay between circadian proteins, electrophysiology, and epigenetics is complex and contributes to arrhythmias.

Conclusions:

  • Circadian rhythm disruptions significantly impact cardiovascular health, particularly in heart failure.
  • Targeting the interplay between circadian rhythms, electrophysiology, and epigenetics may offer novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Further research is crucial to fully elucidate these interactions and develop effective interventions for heart failure arrhythmias.

Keywords:
circadian clockcircadian proteinsepigenetic regulationsheart failure

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