Page 179 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Heart Health and Biorhythms

Studying spaceflight effects on the cardiovascular system has led to the creation of unique
instruments that can be used on Earth for the detection of the earliest deviations in health status.
These technologies are now used to examine motor vehicle drivers and civil aviation pilots to evaluate
risks and prevent accidents. Twenty-four-hour electrocardiograms of astronauts were also analyzed to
understand the space environment’s effect on biological rhythm and cardiac autonomic nervous activity,
which led to recommendations for maintaining a well-balanced biological rhythm on Earth. One of
these recommendations is maintenance of a regular sleep schedule. To study the sleep patterns of
cosmonauts, information is recorded via a miniature device that fits in their pocket, and the data are
sent to Earth for analysis of sleep quality. An Earth model of this device is placed under the pillow or
mattress to record movements related to heart and breathing.

Space Cardiology for the easy, cheap, reliable and non-invasive techniques for
Benefit of Health Care cardiovascular monitoring. This scientific experiment
involved the whole Russian space station crew on
The cardiovascular system plays an exceptionally the ISS and was performed regularly since 2014.
important role in cosmonauts’ physical adaptation These studies have provided a tremendous amount
to long-term weightlessness. The scientific experiment of information about space cardiology that has resulted
Puls (2002 to the present) and the experiment in new technologies being successfully used to
Pneumocard (2007 through 2012) were performed evaluate the body’s functional reserves, to determine
regularly on the International Space Station (ISS) to the degree of stress on regulatory systems, and to
study spaceflight effects on the cardiovascular system. assess the risk of development of disease. These
Experiment Cardiovector is a logical continuation new technologies served as the basis both for further
of the experiments Puls and Pneumocard, which development of cardiological systems on the ISS
gives the opportunity to assess cardiac function and and for the creation of unique sets of instruments
autonomic cardiovascular and respiratory control using that can be used in health care practice. On Earth,
the hardware-software complex Ecosan-2007 is a
multipurpose instrument for early detection of the
earliest deviations in health status. Ecosan-2007 is
based on the principle of prenosological diagnosis,

These studies have provided a
tremendous amount of information
about space cardiology that has
resulted in new technologies being

successfully used to evaluate
the body’s functional reserves, to
determine the degree of stress on
Research using the Ecosan-2007 complex in
isolation experiment Mars-500. regulatory systems, and to assess
Image credit: Institute of Biomedical Problems the risk of development of disease.
of the Russian Academy of Sciences

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