University of Waterloo
Manifestations of spaceflight-induced sub-clinical cardiovascular disease as a long-term health risk.
Human spaceflight dramatically changes the daily exposures of the cardiovascular and musculo-skeletal systems to gravity and physical loading. We will extend our previous observations of increased arterial stiffness and insulin resistance after 6-month spaceflights to determine if 1-year in space exaggerates these conditions and promotes loss of calcium from bones and uptake by arteries. Astronauts are extremely healthy on entry to space, but prolonged daily periods of physical inactivity impair cardiometabolic and skeletal health. Our results should inform planning of physical countermeasures in future long-duration explorations in space and convey the negative consequences of sedentary lifestyles in modern society.