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Giacinto O, Lusini M, Sammartini E, Minati A, Mastroianni C, Nenna A, Pascarella G, Sammartini D, Carassiti M, Miraldi F, Chello M, Pelliccia F. Cardiovascular Effects of Cosmic Radiation and Microgravity. J Clin Med 2024; 13:520. [PMID: 38256654 PMCID: PMC10816185 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13020520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent spaceflights involving nonprofessional people have opened the doors to the suborbital space tourism business. However, they have also drawn public attention to the safety and hazards associated with space travel. Unfortunately, space travel involves a myriad of health risks for people, ranging from DNA damage caused by radiation exposure to the hemodynamic changes that occur when living in microgravity. In fact, the primary pathogenetic role is attributed to cosmic radiation, since deep space lacks the protective benefit of Earth's magnetic shielding. The second risk factor for space-induced pathologies is microgravity, which may affect organ function and cause a different distribution of fluid inside the human body. Both cosmic radiation and microgravity may lead to the alteration of cellular homeostasis and molecular changes in cell function. These, in turn, might have a direct impact on heart function and structure. The aim of this review is to draw attention to the fact that spaceflights constitute a novel frontier in biomedical research. We summarize the most important clinical and experimental evidence regarding the cardiovascular effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity. Finally, we highlight that unraveling the mechanisms underlying how space radiation and microgravity affect the cardiovascular system is crucial for identifying potential countermeasures and developing effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Giacinto
- Research Unit of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Lusini
- Research Unit of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Minati
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Università Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Ciro Mastroianni
- Research Unit of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Nenna
- Research Unit of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pascarella
- Research Unit of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Sammartini
- Research Unit of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Carassiti
- Research Unit of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Miraldi
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Università Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Chello
- Research Unit of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pelliccia
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Università Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
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