Traveling to Space Causes Premature Aging

Effects of space travel on all the human body systems have been discussed at the UCSD School of Medicine conference

The Stein Institute on Aging at UC San Diego has been the host of a conference about the space travel and premature aging topic last week.

NASA affiliate Brinda K. Rana, Ph.D. spoke to the auditorium, as the Principle Investigator (PI) on three NASA studies about the effects that space can have on living organisms.

Rana conducted a NASA project on twin astronauts, Scott and Mark Kelly, who spent different periods in space and aged differently.

Rana explained the way space travel impacts the cardiovascular system, as zero gravity severely affects circulation, muscle strength and general abilities of the body. Space also affects the bacterial flora, bones, vision, chemistry and physiology, DNA, RNA, as these features are highly sensitive to the surrounding environment.

Practically, space travel leads to premature aging of the body.

The studies conducted by NASA are relevant thanks to their applicability in situations that are similar to space travel, in addition to better understanding what risks astronauts take in their missions.

According a theory by Albert Einstein, space travel involving light speeds triggers time to slow down. But, as it turns out, in zero gravity conditions, human bodies will age faster.

More research is planned in order for NASA to shed light on the human aging process in space.

 

Source: lajollalight.com