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| Individual Susceptibility to Postflight Orthostatic Intolerance |
| DSO 496 |
| Prime: Cady Coleman |
| Backup: Jeffrey Ashby |
| Overview |
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Susceptibility to postflight orthostatic intolerance is highly individual. Some astronauts are little affected; others have severe symptoms. Women are more often affected than men. The goal of this DSO is to discover the mechanisms responsible for these differences in order to customize countermeasure protocols. |
| History/Background |
| It has been well documented that space flight significantly alters cardiovascular function. One of the most important changes from a crew safety standpoint is postflight loss of orthostatic tolerance, which causes astronauts to have difficulty walking independently and induces lightheadedness or fainting. These may impair their ability to leave the orbiter after it lands. Recent evidence indicates that postflight autonomic dysfunction contributes to orthostatic intolerance. |
Editorial/Technical Comments: ShuttlePresskit
