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Vasorelaxation in space.

Peter Norsk1, Morten Damgaard, Lonnie Petersen

  • 1Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. pnorsk@mfi.ku.dk

Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|November 23, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Weightlessness promptly boosts cardiac output and dilates blood vessels in humans. These cardiovascular changes, including reduced systemic vascular resistance, persist for at least a week in space, suggesting spaceflight may be healthy.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Space Medicine
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Gravity in upright humans reduces venous return, decreasing cardiac output and causing vasoconstriction to maintain blood pressure.
  • Understanding cardiovascular adaptations to weightlessness is crucial for astronaut health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test if entering weightlessness increases cardiac output and causes systemic vasodilation.
  • To determine if these cardiovascular effects persist for at least one week in space.

Main Methods:

  • Measured cardiac output and mean arterial pressure in 8 healthy humans during parabolic flights (acute weightlessness).
  • Measured cardiac output and mean arterial pressure in 4 astronauts on days 7-8 of spaceflight.
  • Used seated 1-G position as a reference.

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Main Results:

  • Entering weightlessness promptly increased cardiac output by 29% (P=0.003) and decreased systemic vascular resistance by 24% (P=0.017).
  • After one week in space, cardiac output remained elevated by 22% (P=0.021) and systemic vascular resistance decreased by 14% (P=0.047).
  • Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were unaffected in both conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Entering weightlessness causes a rapid increase in cardiac output and systemic vasodilation.
  • This vasodilation persists for at least one week in space.
  • Spaceflight appears to be healthy for the human cardiovascular system.