The paradox of systemic vasodilatation and sympathetic nervous stimulation in space

Cardiac output is increased by some 18% by weightlessness during the initial week of spaceflight compared to upright standing or sitting on the ground and more so during the initial days of flight than at the end. In addition, mean 24-h diastolic, but not systolic pressure, is significantly decreased by 5 min Hg. This is in accordance with observations that very acute weightlessness during parabolic airplane flights and a week of weightlessness in space leads to a decrease in systemic vascular resistance. That the arterial resistance vessels are dilated in space is in contrast to the augmented sympathetic nervous activity and decreased urine production, which have consistently been observed in astronauts in space. These contrasting observations require further investigation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.