AEROSPACE MEDICINE AND ENDOCRINOLOGY: HORMONAL ADAPTATIONS IN MICROGRAVITY

Abstract

The human endocrine system is severely affected by microgravity conditions astronauts experience in space, which influences human ability to deal with stress, metabolism, reproduction, and circadian balance.  This research paper was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative approaches in observing the effects on the hormones of 12 astronauts to study the changes during the course of the long trip to the International Space Station (ISS). A body of research here on Earth based on head-down bed rest and even simulations of parabolic flights also supported it.  There were large variability in cortisol cycles, low gonadotropins, various levels of thyroid hormones, and there was elevated levels of insulin and leptin in quantitative endocrine profiling at varying times.  Cosinor modeling indicated that a changed amount of the phase and amplitude of cortisol secretion was not as much, and this indicates malfunctioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.  Concurrently, the structured interviews conducted post the mission depicted that the individuals had been experiencing similar issues that were issues to the appetite, exhaustion, mood swings, and problems with sleep, which concurred with the hormonal abnormalities that had been observed.  Patterns of the ground analog individuals were similar and this confirms the notion that the results can be used in other scenarios.  The integration of biometric and subjective data demonstrate that astronauts must be placed on a condition where their hormones can be screened at all times and countermeasures personalized in terms of time (during space missions).  This paper produces an emergent multidisciplinary paradigm between aerospace physiology and clinical endocrinology. It impacts astronaut health, mission architecture andлё (in a terrestrial context) its application in medicine.