THE EFFECT OF AGING PROCESS AND BED REST AND IMMOBILIZATION IS THE OPPOSITE OF CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION

Physiological deconditioning similar to that seen in spaceflight also occurs on Earth.
Illness or injury in older persons frequently requires hospitalized based care. However, the immobilization that occurs during hospitalization is itself a major factor in physiological deconditioning and functional decline and in older persons can further contribute to a downward spiral of increasing frailty, dizziness upon standing up (orthostatic intolerance) and increased risk and incidence of falls. Astronauts in space spend substantial time doing physical training to counteract the deconditioning due to the effects of microgravity and to alleviate orthostatic intolerance on return to Earth. Could such physical activity programs carried out by astronauts in space be used during bedrest immobilization in older persons to counteract deconditioning as well? This is important as early interventions are known to be associated with decrease incidence of orthostatic intolerance, falls and falls related injuries (Singh et al., 2008).