Apparently people's heartbeats are just as unique as fingerprints, so I was just wondering about people with heart transplants... do they have the same biometric marker as before or does the donor heart take over? or a fusion of the two?

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[deleted] t1_iydchd2 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 3:47 PM

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[deleted] t1_iydd136 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 3:51 PM

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kjaxz8 t1_iydg1ne wrote on November 30, 2022 at 4:11 PM

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Probably something totally new. I think the transplant process can mess with the heart beat and how it responds to things like exercise. The recipients lifestyle I’m sure would change how the heart beats. Also the anatomy of the heart changes how it beats so like if the donor had a condition like Long QT then i would think the recipient will have Long QT since that condition is caused by abnormality in the ion channels of the heart which is usually the result of a genetic change in the donor.

Shapk145 t1_iydij8q wrote on November 30, 2022 at 4:28 PM

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The heart beat is regulated by autonomic nervous system(ANS) more than the central nervous system (CNS) (Brain). So in the process of transplantation these autonomic nervous system get disrupted and it will not have that influence on heart rate. Usually in heart ANS have a more parasympathetic system, which is reducing the rate. And once it is disrupted that resting parasympathetic tone is gone and the heart beat little faster than the previous rate, not as the donor or as the recipient . For eg the resting heart rate in donor was 72 , recipient before was having 84, after successful transplantation it will be on higher side like 100.

[deleted] t1_iydnn0d wrote on November 30, 2022 at 5:01 PM

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[deleted] t1_iydtuy2 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 5:40 PM

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TheLostHippos t1_iydu6fh wrote on November 30, 2022 at 5:42 PM

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Replying to Shapk145 (#812,340)

Its way simpler than you're making it out to be, minor changes in the shapes of the valves and size of the cavities by definition will change the sound of your heartbeat. Its just not noticeable to most people without special equipment.

BrakeFastBurrito t1_iydumji wrote on November 30, 2022 at 5:45 PM

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The electrical system of the heart is a part of the heart itself. Our heartbeat comes from the sinoatrial (SA) node which sends its electrical impulse down two branches to initiate a contraction which begins at the bottom of the ventricles and twists like a wet towel being rung-out. So heartbeat itself is inherent to the heart.

The sympathetic chain and the vagus nerve (parasympathetic) are the brains impulse controls, but the heart will beat spontaneously. Furthermore, every cardiac cell has the ability to be a back-up pacemaker to the SA node, and heart cells in a Petri dish (ex vivo) will spontaneously find a rhythm.

PS: The best answer would come from an electrophysiologist (cardiologist), but I imagine that the biggest change in heart rate after transplant would come from from the recipient’s sympathetic/parasympathetics, and the many factors which affect them which will change with time.