Impact of Prolonged Spaceflight on Cardiac Structure and Function: An Exploratory Longitudinal Observational Study

This study aimed to investigate the effects of prolonged spaceflight on cardiac structure and function by tracking changes in astronauts' hearts during and after missions to the International Space Station. The findings revealed that while there were initial reductions in left ventricular volume and function upon transitioning to microgravity, these changes stabilized over time, and cardiac measures returned to baseline levels after exposure to simulated Martian gravity, suggesting that significant cardiac adaptations are unlikely with appropriate countermeasures during long-duration spaceflight.