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The Thrombotic Effect of Space Travel

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Sebastian Maurice
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17 views10 pages

The Thrombotic Effect of Space Travel

Uploaded by

Sebastian Maurice
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The thrombotic effect of space

travel

By: Sebastian Maurice


Introduction
• Human space travel has been
attainable since the 1960’s, and
efforts towards travelling to farther
celestial bodies are being planned.
• Several companies, including NASA,
has plans to introduce touristic space
flight in the near future, offering
services to paying customers.
• Although the idea is to allow people of
many physical and medical
backgrounds on flights, this might
prove to be a challenge.
Clinical implications
of zero-gravity
• The human circulatory and
hemostatic system was evolved to
work under earth’s gravity, however,
things change in zero gravity
conditions.
• In zero gravity, blood becomes
stagnant instead of flowing, which can
increase the risk of thrombosis.
• Additionally, ultrasound tests showed
an extremely dilated jugular vein after
travelling through space (7 times
regular diameter)
Clinical implications of zero-gravity,
cont.
• Additionally, it was shown that jugular vein pressure
increased 3-3 times the normal amount.
• Increases in blood pressure can lead to larger and
thicker veins in the body.
Evidence of
thrombotic risks

• In one experiment, 6 out of 11 astronauts


were shown to have static blood flow in the
jugular vein, which can lead to thrombosis.
• Additionally, hypercoagulability can come
about from increased blood volume (due to
weightlessness)
• First days in space and first days of re-entry is
known to cause cardiac issues, both events
are known to cause an acute phase receptor
response (causing coagulation)
Further delve
into thrombotic
risks studies
• An MRI study of 27 astronauts to
detect thrombotic masses in the
brain showed nothing.
• Additionally, decades of
ultrasound imaging hasn’t
revealed any thrombotic
structures.
• This could be due, however, to the
conditions of operation in space,
and the skill of the operator.
• Furthermore, testing and
screening for astronauts with
hereditary thrombophilia is not
performed, so many could pass
through the cracks.
Conclusion and Discussion
• In conclusion, much of
the data surrounding the
correlation of thrombotic
issues and space travel is
still inconclusive, die to
the difficulties of space
travel.
• Additionally, preventative
measures for thrombosis
caused by space travel is
still relatively unknown,
due to the niche and
expensive nature of the
study being done.
Summary
• In summary, space travel can lead to blood pooling in
the body, and expanding in volume.
• This can lead to dilated veins, and increased blood
pressure.
• The link between space travel and thrombosis still
hasn’t been fully fleshed out, due to the difficulty and
expense of space travel.
Questions?
Works Cited
• Limper U, Tank J, Ahnert T, Maegele M, Grottke O, Hein
M, Jordan J. The thrombotic risk of spaceflight: has a
serious problem been overlooked for more than half of a
century? Eur Heart J. 2021 Jan 1;42(1):97-100. doi:
10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa359. PMID: 32428936.

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