Vasorelaxation in space.

Peter Norsk; Morten Damgaard; Lonnie Grove Petersen; Mikkel Gybel; Bettina Pump; Anders Gabrielsen; Niels Juel Christensen

doi:10.1161/01.HYP.0000194332.98674.57

Vasorelaxation in space.

Peter Norsk, Morten Damgaard, Lonnie Grove Petersen, Mikkel Gybel, Bettina Pump, Anders Gabrielsen, Niels Juel Christensen

73 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

During everyday life, gravity constantly stresses the cardiovascular system in upright humans by diminishing venous return. This decreases cardiac output and induces systemic vasoconstriction to prevent blood pressure from falling. We therefore tested the hypothesis that entering weightlessness leads to a prompt increase in cardiac output and to systemic vasodilatation and that these effects persist for at least a week of weightlessness in space. Cardiac output and mean arterial pressure were measured in 8 healthy humans during acute 20-s periods of weightlessness in parabolic airplane flights and on the seventh and eighth day of weightlessness in 4 astronauts in space. The seated 1-G position acted as reference. Entering weightlessness promptly increased cardiac output by 29+/-7%, from 6.6+/-0.7 to 8.4+/-0.9 L min(-1) (mean+/-SEM; P=0.003), whereas mean arterial pressure and heart rate were unaffected. Thus, systemic vascular resistance decreased by 24+/-4% (P=0.017). After a week of weightlessness in space, cardiac output was increased by 22+/-8% from 5.1+/-0.3 to 6.1+/-0.1 L min(-1) (P=0.021), with mean arterial pressure and heart rate being unchanged so that systemic vascular resistance was decreased by 14+/-9% (P=0.047). In conclusion, entering weightlessness promptly increases cardiac output and dilates the systemic circulation. This vasorelaxation persists for at least a week into spaceflight. Thus, it is probably healthy for the human cardiovascular system to fly in space.

Original language	English
Journal	Hypertension
Volume	47
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	69-73
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1161/01.HYP.0000194332.98674.57
Publication status	Published - 2005

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1161/01.HYP.0000194332.98674.57

Cite this

@article{6c989cf0acd711ddb538000ea68e967b,

title = "Vasorelaxation in space.",

abstract = "During everyday life, gravity constantly stresses the cardiovascular system in upright humans by diminishing venous return. This decreases cardiac output and induces systemic vasoconstriction to prevent blood pressure from falling. We therefore tested the hypothesis that entering weightlessness leads to a prompt increase in cardiac output and to systemic vasodilatation and that these effects persist for at least a week of weightlessness in space. Cardiac output and mean arterial pressure were measured in 8 healthy humans during acute 20-s periods of weightlessness in parabolic airplane flights and on the seventh and eighth day of weightlessness in 4 astronauts in space. The seated 1-G position acted as reference. Entering weightlessness promptly increased cardiac output by 29+/-7%, from 6.6+/-0.7 to 8.4+/-0.9 L min(-1) (mean+/-SEM; P=0.003), whereas mean arterial pressure and heart rate were unaffected. Thus, systemic vascular resistance decreased by 24+/-4% (P=0.017). After a week of weightlessness in space, cardiac output was increased by 22+/-8% from 5.1+/-0.3 to 6.1+/-0.1 L min(-1) (P=0.021), with mean arterial pressure and heart rate being unchanged so that systemic vascular resistance was decreased by 14+/-9% (P=0.047). In conclusion, entering weightlessness promptly increases cardiac output and dilates the systemic circulation. This vasorelaxation persists for at least a week into spaceflight. Thus, it is probably healthy for the human cardiovascular system to fly in space.",

author = "Peter Norsk and Morten Damgaard and Petersen, {Lonnie Grove} and Mikkel Gybel and Bettina Pump and Anders Gabrielsen and Christensen, {Niels Juel}",

note = "Keywords: Adult; Astronauts; Blood Pressure; Cardiac Output; Heart Rate; Humans; Middle Aged; Time Factors; Vascular Resistance; Vasodilation; Weightlessness",

year = "2005",

doi = "10.1161/01.HYP.0000194332.98674.57",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

pages = "69--73",

journal = "Hypertension",

issn = "0194-911X",

publisher = "Lippincott Williams & Wilkins",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Vasorelaxation in space.

AU - Norsk, Peter

AU - Damgaard, Morten

AU - Petersen, Lonnie Grove

AU - Gybel, Mikkel

AU - Pump, Bettina

AU - Gabrielsen, Anders

AU - Christensen, Niels Juel

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Astronauts; Blood Pressure; Cardiac Output; Heart Rate; Humans; Middle Aged; Time Factors; Vascular Resistance; Vasodilation; Weightlessness

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - During everyday life, gravity constantly stresses the cardiovascular system in upright humans by diminishing venous return. This decreases cardiac output and induces systemic vasoconstriction to prevent blood pressure from falling. We therefore tested the hypothesis that entering weightlessness leads to a prompt increase in cardiac output and to systemic vasodilatation and that these effects persist for at least a week of weightlessness in space. Cardiac output and mean arterial pressure were measured in 8 healthy humans during acute 20-s periods of weightlessness in parabolic airplane flights and on the seventh and eighth day of weightlessness in 4 astronauts in space. The seated 1-G position acted as reference. Entering weightlessness promptly increased cardiac output by 29+/-7%, from 6.6+/-0.7 to 8.4+/-0.9 L min(-1) (mean+/-SEM; P=0.003), whereas mean arterial pressure and heart rate were unaffected. Thus, systemic vascular resistance decreased by 24+/-4% (P=0.017). After a week of weightlessness in space, cardiac output was increased by 22+/-8% from 5.1+/-0.3 to 6.1+/-0.1 L min(-1) (P=0.021), with mean arterial pressure and heart rate being unchanged so that systemic vascular resistance was decreased by 14+/-9% (P=0.047). In conclusion, entering weightlessness promptly increases cardiac output and dilates the systemic circulation. This vasorelaxation persists for at least a week into spaceflight. Thus, it is probably healthy for the human cardiovascular system to fly in space.

AB - During everyday life, gravity constantly stresses the cardiovascular system in upright humans by diminishing venous return. This decreases cardiac output and induces systemic vasoconstriction to prevent blood pressure from falling. We therefore tested the hypothesis that entering weightlessness leads to a prompt increase in cardiac output and to systemic vasodilatation and that these effects persist for at least a week of weightlessness in space. Cardiac output and mean arterial pressure were measured in 8 healthy humans during acute 20-s periods of weightlessness in parabolic airplane flights and on the seventh and eighth day of weightlessness in 4 astronauts in space. The seated 1-G position acted as reference. Entering weightlessness promptly increased cardiac output by 29+/-7%, from 6.6+/-0.7 to 8.4+/-0.9 L min(-1) (mean+/-SEM; P=0.003), whereas mean arterial pressure and heart rate were unaffected. Thus, systemic vascular resistance decreased by 24+/-4% (P=0.017). After a week of weightlessness in space, cardiac output was increased by 22+/-8% from 5.1+/-0.3 to 6.1+/-0.1 L min(-1) (P=0.021), with mean arterial pressure and heart rate being unchanged so that systemic vascular resistance was decreased by 14+/-9% (P=0.047). In conclusion, entering weightlessness promptly increases cardiac output and dilates the systemic circulation. This vasorelaxation persists for at least a week into spaceflight. Thus, it is probably healthy for the human cardiovascular system to fly in space.

U2 - 10.1161/01.HYP.0000194332.98674.57

DO - 10.1161/01.HYP.0000194332.98674.57

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16301338

SN - 0194-911X

VL - 47

SP - 69

EP - 73

JO - Hypertension

JF - Hypertension

IS - 1

ER -

Vasorelaxation in space.

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this