Why the study?
Animal models suggest microgravity may cause left ventricular papillary muscle atrophy, but whether this occurs in humans had not been studied.
Does long-duration spaceflight induce left ventricular papillary muscle atrophy in male cosmonauts?
Population
Nine male cosmonauts
Comparison
Pre-flight vs 6 ± 2 days after long-duration spaceflight (247 ± 90 days)
Design
Prospective observational MRI study
Follow-up
6 ± 2 days after spaceflight
Key result
Long-duration spaceflight decreased left ventricular papillary muscle mass by 14% (P = 0.017) in male cosmonauts compared to pre-flight baseline.
Authors
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May signal selective papillary atrophy in microgravity; leaves open mitral valve effects and need for prospective validation.
Observational (n=9)
No
Does long-duration spaceflight induce left ventricular papillary muscle atrophy in male cosmonauts?
Absolute Event Rate: 8.7% vs 10.1%
p-value: p=0.017
Long-duration spaceflight induces a 14% reduction in left ventricular papillary muscle mass and increases mitral annular diameter despite preserved overall LV mass and volumes.
Tordeur et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Microgravity exposure (n=9). Long-duration spaceflight vs. Pre-flight baseline was evaluated on Left ventricular papillary muscle mass (g) (95% CI -2.42 to -0.32, p=0.017). Long-duration spaceflight decreased left ventricular papillary muscle mass by 14% (P = 0.017) in male cosmonauts compared to pre-flight baseline.