Bio-Monitor Detects Reduced Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Susceptibility to Arrhythmia in Spaceflight

Attenuation of sleep disordered breathing in astronauts entering microgravity was previously reported during shuttle missions. However, the impacts of microgravity on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have not previously been quantified.

An astronaut with OSA participated in the noninvasive assessment of multiple physiological variables using the Bio-Monitor biometric shirt before, twice during, and after a 6-mo mission to the International Space Station. Cardiorespiratory variables, including electrocardiogram, respiratory rate and tidal volume, oxygen saturation, and activity, were measured and allowed for the assessment of apneic events and cardiac arrhythmias before, during, and after the mission.

While in the microgravity environment, apneic and desaturation events completely resolved, reoccurring immediately following landing. Associated electrophysiological features, including complete heart block, were not temporally associated with apneic or desaturation events when present, persisting even when OSA was absent. The participant's use of hypnotic medication in the evening prior to data collection toward the end of flight may have contributed to sporadic apneic episodes, and to longer QT intervals exhibited at that specific timepoint. Mastrandrea CJ, Rabineau J, Greaves D, Hughson RL. Bio-monitor detects reduced obstructive sleep apnea and susceptibility to arrhythmia in spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(12):1084-1089.