Does Traveling to Space Lead to a Blood Clot in Women?

The new study proposes more blood tests be carried out during astronaut selection and medical reviews for women to avoid blood clot risk.

The potential risk factors for developing a blood clot in women traveling to space are examined by a group of researchers and the findings are published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance.

The study which looked at 38 female astronaut flights between 2000 and 2014, found spaceflight and combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) use does not appear to increase the risk of a blood clot.

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‘A more holistic approach is needed while considering contraceptive pills for women astronauts, including their occupation-related risk factors.’

The first episode of an astronaut developing a blood clot in space was reported earlier this year. It is unknown how spaceflight impacts the risk of an astronaut developing a blood clot.

This study aimed to look specifically at the potential blood clot developing risks for female astronauts during spaceflight and to understand if their use of the hormonal contraceptive pill for menstrual cycle control, increased that risk.

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Developing a blood clot in space is life-threatening and potentially a mission-critical risk. The risk may have been further increased by COCP use, however as female astronauts are more fit and healthy than the general population, their risk remains low.

There are points during pre-mission training and during spaceflight, such as particular training activities, which may briefly increase the risk of developing a blood clot, and the authors recommend a review of these.

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There may be possible time points in an astronaut’s pre-mission training or during the space mission itself where blood clot risk may potentially be transiently increased.

Due to the potentially life-threatening nature of blood clots, researchers advise further targeted research in this area to further understand how an astronaut’s risk of developing a blood clot is altered by spaceflight.

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Much of the previous biomedical research in space was conducted on mostly male astronauts because most of the astronauts were male. That has changed, and now we need to understand how the spaceflight environment impacts the female human body.

Source-Medindia