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Impact of Space Pharmaceuticals on Cardiovascular System

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Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals

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Abstract

After half a century full of exciting mix of space flight success and failures, space scientists, governments, and entrepreneurs have learned a little about the mechanisms and challenges of physiological adaptation during long stays in space and orthostatic adaptation after flights. However, new questions develop all the time because of unpredictable results. Urgent attention on human health, safety, and space protocols of long stays and a thorough understanding of microgravity and space radiation influences on human organ metabolisms to design space medication packs are needed before astronauts can be sent on other planets. Experiences with NASA and MIR programs and European and Asian space programs have taught us the influence of microgravity and space radiations on the cardiovascular system. Space crews face cardiovascular and physiological adaptation such as osteoporosis, blood pressure, angina, peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, syncope, cardiac stress, arrhythmia, along with muscle deconditioning, bone density loss, and psychological, renal, and breathing stress. For long space flights to Mars or beyond, on-board space pharmaceuticals with expiry of more than 3 years with conditioned pharmacodynamic capability to metabolize drugs in microgravity and radiation conditioned human organs and cells in space will be needed. Telepathy and telemedicine are miraculous methods for the cardiovascular evaluation, real-time monitoring, and robust tele-intervention for timely management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NMR Surgical Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Burns Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Rakesh Sharma

  2. Government Medical College, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Madhvi Trivedi

  3. Government Medical College, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Arvind Trivedi

Authors
  1. Rakesh Sharma
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  2. Madhvi Trivedi
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  3. Arvind Trivedi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rakesh Sharma .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Health College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Yashwant Pathak

  2. InnovaSpace Ltd, London, UK

    Marlise Araújo dos Santos

  3. BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    Luis Zea

Section Editor information

  1. InnovaSpace, London, UK

    Marlise Araújo dos Santos

  2. USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Yashwant V. Pathak

  3. Faculty of Pharmacy, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia

    Yashwant V. Pathak

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Sharma, R., Trivedi, M., Trivedi, A. (2022). Impact of Space Pharmaceuticals on Cardiovascular System. In: Pathak, Y., Araújo dos Santos, M., Zea, L. (eds) Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50909-9_63-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50909-9_63-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-50909-9

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