Effects of the 520-day isolation on the functional state of the cardiovascular system

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to estimate the cardiovascular effects of simulated factors in a 520-day crewed mission to Mars, and to validate the diagnostic value of the ultrasonic investigation of microcirculation and endothelium-dependent dilation of the right brachial artery in six male volunteers at the age of 28 to 39 years. It appears that a 520-day isolation affected intracardiac hemodynamics and endothelium function more dramatically compared with a 105-day isolation, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis. These findings add insight into the “cost of human adaptation” to very long isolation.