The permanent microgravity environment of an orbiting space station offers scientists a particularly valuable testing ground . The International Space Station (ISS) thus has accommodates many European science projects, including Cardiomed.

Cosmonauts experience cardiovascular complications due to weightlessness during extravehicular activities and on returning to Earth. The main symptom is a reduced ability to maintain an orthostatic (upright) stance, accompanied by fainting. Cardiomed is a suite of medical instruments designed to study the human cardiovascular system and how it responds under microgravity conditions. It will be used chiefly aboard the ISS to keep a check on Russian cosmonauts’ medical health.

Cardiomed’s instruments will measure parameters such as muscular activity of the myocardium (electrocardiogram), blood pressure and arterial blood flow, using experiment protocols—for example, a Lower Body Negative Pressure device (LBNP) or exercise bike—that are monitored in real time from the mission control centre in Moscow.

Data gathered by the Russian TsUP flight control centre near Moscow will identify mechanisms related to the effects of weightlessness on the cardiovascular system. Doctors will then be able to devise preventive measures to keep the crew in good health during their stay and better prepare them for the return to Earth.

Results will benefit ground-based research in the field of human physiology, for example on vascular function in the lower limbs. They will also likely help to draw up protocols to prevent the kind of cardiovascular complications experienced by 30% of elderly people.

The Cadmos¹ centre for the development of microgravity applications and space operations is providing technical and operational support for the Cardiomed project through a bilateral collaboration between CNES and IMBP². Cardiomed will joint medical equipment of the ISS early 2010.


^{1 Centre d'Aide au Développement des activités en Micropesanteur et des Opérations Spatiales (CNES, Toulouse)
2 Institute for Biomedical Problems (Moscow)}

_{Last updated : August 2010}