Key result
Radial artery pulse graph parameters strongly correlate with cardiovascular ultrasound metrics during head-down bed rest.
Why the study?
The feasibility and application value of radial pulse graph parameters for dynamically evaluating cardiovascular function changes under simulated weightlessness during head-down bed rest with different exercise interventions required evaluation.
Do radial pulse graph parameters reflect cardiovascular status changes and correlate with ultrasound indicators in male volunteers undergoing 90-day head-down bed rest under different exercise interventions?
RCT (n=36)
Stratified randomization by age, height, weight, peak oxygen consumption, maximum isometric strength during squats, and femoral neck bone mineral density
No
Do radial pulse graph parameters reflect cardiovascular status changes and correlate with ultrasound indicators in male volunteers undergoing 90-day head-down bed rest under different exercise interventions?
Radial artery pulse wave parameters correlate with cardiovascular ultrasound indicators and reflect dynamic vascular and cardiac changes during 90-day head-down bed rest, supporting their potential use for non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring in simulated weightlessness.
Pulse graphs should not yet guide clinical monitoring; leaves open their utility for tracking cardiovascular changes in simulated microgravity.
Objective This study aims to observe pulse graph parameters and their dynamic changes in subjects of the head-down bed rest (HDBR) under different exercise interventions and to evaluate their application value in simulating cardiovascular function changes in weightlessness. Methods A total of 36 male volunteers (32.0 ± 2.6 years) participated in a 138-day experiment (15 days at baseline, 90 days at -6° HDBR, and 33 days at recovery). Radial pulse graphs were collected at 11 time points: the baseline, D7, D15, D30, D45, D60, D75, D90 during bedrest, and R + 7, R + 15, and R + 30 during the recovery. Cardiac structural and functional parameters, along with arterial elasticity and blood flow parameters, were recorded simultaneously. The feasibility of TCM pulse diagnosis for assessing cardiovascular status in HDBR subjects was explored through correlation analyses between pulse parameters and ultrasound indicators. Results (1) During bedrest, pulse parameters h 1 , h 3 , h 4 , t 5 , t, As, Ad, and h 4 /h 1 showed an upward trend and decreased during the recovery stage. PWVρ, crPWV, LICAvmax, and LFAvmax increased initially and then decreased, whereas IMT showed a sustained increase. (2) The aerobic exercise plus resistance training group showed faster adaption to HDBR and better cardiovascular functional recovery after long-term HDBR. (3) Canonical correlation and bivariate correlation analyses showed varying degrees of correlation between the two types of indicators, with some correlation coefficients >0.7 ( P < 0.05). (4) Repeated measurements showed statistically significant differences in pulse graph parameters, with cfPWV, crPWV, and PWVρ showing an increasing trend followed by a decrease. Conclusion Cardiovascular changes induced by HDBR can be reflected in pulse graph parameters; radial pulse wave parameters may serve as valuable references for the dynamic monitoring and assessment of cardiovascular function under simulated weightlessness.
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HA et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Simulated weightlessness (-6° head-down bed rest) (n=36). Head-down bed rest (-6° HDBR) with exercise countermeasures (aerobic, resistance, or concurrent aerobic and resistance training) vs. Head-down bed rest without exercise countermeasure (control group) and baseline pre-bedrest state was evaluated on Canonical correlation between radial artery pulse graph parameters and cardiovascular ultrasound indicators during long-term head-down bed rest (Canonical correlation C = 0.741, p=<0.05). Radial artery pulse graph parameters correlated significantly with cardiovascular ultrasound indicators during 90-day head-down bed rest (canonical correlation C=0.741, P<0.05).
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