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Related Experiment Videos

Cardiac atrophy after bed rest and spaceflight.

M A Perhonen1, F Franco, L D Lane

  • 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Texas 75231, USA.

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|July 18, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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Prolonged physical inactivity, like 6-week bed rest, causes cardiac atrophy, reducing left ventricular (LV) mass and wall thickness. This demonstrates the heart

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Exercise Science
  • Space Medicine

Background:

  • Cardiac muscle exhibits adaptive plasticity in response to altered loading conditions, such as exercise or hypertension.
  • The effects of prolonged physical inactivity on cardiac mass and structure in non-athletic populations remain unclear.
  • Understanding cardiac adaptation to reduced load is crucial for terrestrial and spaceflight environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of prolonged horizontal bed rest on left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) mass and volume.
  • To determine if cardiac atrophy occurs due to physical inactivity and reduced myocardial workload.
  • To assess cardiac adaptation to simulated microgravity conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Horizontal bed rest protocol for sedentary men (6 and 12 weeks).
Keywords:
NASA Discipline CardiopulmonaryNASA Experiment Number 284080 1/2Non-NASA Center

Related Experiment Videos

  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure LV and RV mass and end-diastolic volume.
  • Control group with routine daily activities and astronauts exposed to spaceflight were also studied.

    • Main Results:

    • LV mass decreased by 8.0% after 6 weeks and an additional 7.6% after 12 weeks of bed rest (P < 0.005).
    • Mean LV wall thickness decreased by 4% (P = 0.01) after 6 weeks of bed rest.
    • RV mass and volume showed a trend towards decrease (P = 0.06), and LV mass decreased by 12% (P=0.07) after spaceflight.

    Conclusions:

    • Prolonged horizontal bed rest leads to significant cardiac atrophy, characterized by reduced LV mass and wall thickness.
    • Cardiac atrophy appears to be a physiological adaptation to reduced myocardial load and work in simulated or real microgravity.
    • These findings highlight the plasticity of cardiac muscle and its sensitivity to altered loading conditions.