Space Anemia: Why Astronauts Like Sunita Williams Are Affected

Post by: Elena Malik

Photo : AFP

NASA has confirmed that astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) at least until early 2025, and will return to Earth via SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, as opposed to Boeing’s Starliner. Both astronauts were originally sent to the ISS as part of Starliner's Crew Flight Test and are set to become full-time crew members of the space station.

Their extended stay in space poses several health risks, primarily due to prolonged exposure to microgravity. One significant health issue is space anemia, a condition in which the human body accelerates the destruction of red blood cells, increasing the rate from two million per second on Earth to three million per second in space.

A 2022 study published in Nature Medicine, titled "Hemolysis Contributes to Anemia During Long-Duration Space Flight," provides insight into space anemia. The research, which involved 14 astronauts on six-month missions aboard the ISS, found that microgravity leads to increased levels of hemolysis (the breakdown of red blood cells), reticulocytosis (an increase in immature red blood cells), and elevated levels of hemoglobin degradation products, such as carbon monoxide and iron in serum.

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The study observed that astronauts experience a 10–12% reduction in red blood cell (RBC) count within the first 10 days of spaceflight. While this count typically stabilizes to near-Earth levels after the initial period, astronauts can suffer from symptoms related to space anemia, including decreased exercise tolerance, fatigue, and orthostatic hypotension (dizziness upon standing).

Upon returning to Earth, astronauts like Williams and Wilmore may encounter further complications as their bodies readjust to gravity. This includes a continuation of increased red blood cell destruction and other long-term effects such as bone density loss and vision problems. The recovery process can be prolonged, potentially taking months to fully address these space-related health issues.

NASA's ongoing research aims to better understand these conditions and improve countermeasures to ensure astronaut health during extended missions in space.

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