Research Summary

Following long missions, returning astronauts may experience reduced exercise and performance capacity, and a drop in blood pressure causing faintness upon standing.  These conditions limit an astronaut’s ability to function following landing.  If an emergency situation occurred, these limits could impact the crew’s ability to exit the spacecraft.  On long-duration missions, deconditioning will lead to reduced cardiac mass. 

The Cardiovascular Alterations Team is determining the effect of long-duration spaceflight on the heart and blood vessels, and designing novel therapies for prolonged deconditioning. These strategies include exercise training regimens as well as pharmacologic and nutritional interventions. The Team works closely with colleagues in flight medicine at NASA Johnson Space Center to develop manifest screening programs for astronauts and to limit the risk of developing cardiovascular disease during a long-duration space mission.

Team Leader:
Benjamin D. Levine, M.D.
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Associate Team Leader:
Artin A. Shoukas, Ph.D.
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine