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VASCULAR: The Secrets of Staying Healthy in Space... and on Earth

Space-related cardiovascular research could help people with heart disease on Earth

Astronauts returning from the International Space Station have stiffer blood vessels, a change similar to ageing on Earth. Do blood vessels age faster in space? (Photo: NASA)

In the 1960s, during the early days of spaceflight, astronaut missions lasted only a few hours. Today, space farers routinely spend months on board the International Space Station (ISS). In 2009, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Robert Thirsk spent 186 days on board the orbiting laboratory, setting a new record for Canadians in space.

Decades of research on how the human body adapts to space has shown, though, that spaceflight takes a toll on the health of astronauts. Calcium is stripped from their bones, their muscles atrophy and their sense of "up" and "down" is affected (at least temporarily). Studies have also shown that the ageing process is accelerated during long stays in space. A recent study found that astronauts returning from ISS have stiffer blood vessels, a change similar to that found here on Earth with normal ageing. Do blood vessels age faster in space?

A new Canadian study called VASCULAR aims to study the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system of astronauts on board the International Space Station. Dr. Richard Hughson of the University of Waterloo leads the VASCULAR science team, which is funded by the Canadian Space Agency and supported by NASA.

Recent advances in medicine have linked certain blood proteins and hormones to cardiovascular stress and disease. Levels of these markers are used by doctors as early indicators of cardiovascular health. Astronauts will undergo blood tests before, during and after their spaceflights to look for these proteins and hormones, and particularly for any changes in their levels when they return from space. The astronauts will also have ultrasounds done that measure the elasticity of their arteries and veins before and after their flight.

Dr Hughson believes that space can be used to test potential solutions for combating this disabling disease, not only for space travelers but everyday Canadians. "We are hoping from these astronauts to not only get a better understanding of these mechanisms that might cause changes in their bodies, but also have a much better focus on what we can do to prevent similar cardiovascular aging in the general population here on Earth," says Dr Hughson. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, there are approximately 70 000 heart attacks per year in Canada. VASCULAR could provide new information concerning factors that might contribute to cardiovascular disease.

VASCULAR's findings may also be important for long-duration space travel in the future, like the three years it might take to make a potential round-trip voyage to Mars. Understanding the effects on cardiovascular health could help prevent significant problems on a distant Martian surface and help keep astronauts healthy after their mission and later in life.