Cardiac atrophy after bed rest and spaceflight
Abstract
Cardiac muscle adapts well to changes in loading conditions. For example, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy may be induced physiologically (via exercise training) or pathologically (via hypertension or valvular heart disease). If hypertension is treated, LV hypertrophy regresses, suggesting a sensitivity to LV work. However, whether physical inactivity in nonathletic populations causes adaptive changes in LV mass or even frank atrophy is not clear. We exposed previously sedentary men to 6 ( n = 5) and 12 ( n = 3) wk of horizontal bed rest. LV and right ventricular (RV) mass and end-diastolic volume were measured using cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 2, 6, and 12 wk of bed rest; five healthy men were also studied before and after at least 6 wk of routine daily activities as controls. In addition, four astronauts were exposed to the complete elimination of hydrostatic gradients during a spaceflight of 10 days. During bed rest, LV mass decreased by 8.0 ± 2.2% ( P = 0.005) after 6 wk with an additional atrophy of 7.6 ± 2.3% in the subjects who remained in bed for 12 wk; there was no change in LV mass for the control subjects (153.0 ± 12.2 vs. 153.4 ± 12.1 g, P = 0.81). Mean wall thickness decreased (4 ± 2.5%, P = 0.01) after 6 wk of bed rest associated with the decrease in LV mass, suggesting a physiological remodeling with respect to altered load. LV end-diastolic volume decreased by 14 ± 1.7% ( P = 0.002) after 2 wk of bed rest and changed minimally thereafter. After 6 wk of bed rest, RV free wall mass decreased by 10 ± 2.7% ( P = 0.06) and RV end-diastolic volume by 16 ± 7.9% ( P = 0.06). After spaceflight, LV mass decreased by 12 ± 6.9% ( P = 0.07). In conclusion, cardiac atrophy occurs during prolonged (6 wk) horizontal bed rest and may also occur after short-term spaceflight. We suggest that cardiac atrophy is due to a physiological adaptation to reduced myocardial load and work in real or simulated microgravity and demonstrates the plasticity of cardiac muscle under different loading conditions.
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The same mechanisms described in space flight have also been seen following prolonged bedrest deconditioning.
“These same mechanisms described in space flight have also been seen following prolonged bedrest deconditioning (23,(25)(26)(27).”
From Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
Many studies have demonstrated that prolonged bedrest or microgravity exposure can result in a POTS-like syndrome characterized by a tachycardic orthostatic intolerance even in previously healthy and active individuals.
“Many studies have demonstrated that prolonged bedrest or microgravity exposure can result in a POTS-like syndrome characterized by a tachycardic orthostatic intolerance even in previously healthy and active individuals (17,18,25,27,57-60).”
From Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
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“We speculate that the loading of the heart and increase in wall stress during the night may produce a stimulus similar to that of endurance exercise (39) and under normal circumstances may be at least partly responsible for the maintenance of cardiac mass and volume.”
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- Authors
- Perhonen, M. A., Franco, F., Lane, L. D., Buckey, J. C., Blomqvist, C. G., Zerwekh, J. E., Peshock, R. M., Weatherall, P. T., & Levine, B. D.
- Affiliations
- Texas Health Dallas (US)
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and Department of Internal Medicine and Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75231
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 2001-08-01
- Volume
- 91
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 645-653
- ISSN
- 0161-7567 (ISSN-L)
- 8750-7587
- 1522-1601
- OpenAlex
- W2115213903
- Cited by
- 494
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 4.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Center for Research Resources (M01RR000633, MO-1 RR-00633)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Spaceflight effects on biology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cardiovascular Syncope and Autonomic Disorders
- Keywords
- cardiac atrophy, bed rest, spaceflight, left ventricular mass, right ventricular mass, end-diastolic volume, cardiac remodeling, microgravity, physical inactivity, astronauts, sedentary men, cardiac plasticity, wall thickness, exercise training, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, valvular heart disease, magnetic resonance imaging of the heart
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Atrophy, Bed Rest, Blood Pressure, Cardiac Output, Heart, Heart Rate, Hemodynamics, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Myocardium, Space Flight, Stroke Volume, Time Factors, Vascular Resistance, Weightlessness
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