Review of NASA's Longitudinal Study of Astronaut Health (2004) / Chapter Skim
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2 Findings to Date
2 Findings to Date
Pages 17-28
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From page 17... ...
Although some published reports utilizing the LSAH are included, the committee concentrated on the organization, goals, and function of the LSAH rather than a critique of the methods and analyses, which has already passed peer review. PETERSON ET AL., 1993 The space radiation environment was a major concern for NASA from the earliest days of the space program.
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From page 18... ...
population was not supported, although the relatively young age of the astronauts, the low doses of radiation during space flight, the modest interval between space flight and data analysis, and the small sample size all made statistical confirmation unlikely. Space radiation doses varied directly with mission duration (r=0.99)
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From page 19... ...
. The statistical analyses were confined to cancer mortality, but the report alludes to a preliminary review of the medical records that indicated that there had been at least 21 nonfatal cancer cases among the astronaut group and at least 6 cases in the comparison group.
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From page 20... ...
SOURCE: Hamm et al., 2000. T-tests were used to compare the astronaut and comparison groups on the substantial number of measures derived from baseline physical examinations and clinical laboratory tests (see Appendix B for a full list)
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From page 21... ...
Logan's presentation in January 2003, just prior to the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of 7, reported 29 deaths among the 312 astronauts in the LSAH database and only 17 deaths among the 912 comparison participants. Accidental deaths, including 8 in spacecraft losses (3 in the Apollo fire and 5 in the Challenger explosion)
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From page 22... ...
that an optometrist who had performed annual eye examinations of astronauts for more than a decade told the LSAH staff in 1998 that he had seen numerous lens opacities among the astronauts, possibly even more frequently than in his private practice. The LSAH staff immediately initiated an investigation by the medical staff and radiation group, which resulted in the publication of a detailed analysis 1There were seven deaths in the Challenger accident, but only the five astronauts are included in the LSAH.
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From page 23... ...
Table 2-3 shows a significant increase in cataract risk for astronauts in the high space lens dose group for all cataracts and nontrace cataracts. Hazard ratios using lens dose from medical X-rays alone and from aviation alone were not significant.
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From page 24... ...
Ratios using lens dose Ratios using lens dose from all radiation from space radiation Cataract Type sources* only*
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From page 25... ...
Thirty-three cases of basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin were excluded from the analysis of the astronaut group, and 27 were excluded from the 912 member comparison sample, an almost threefold difference in rate. A rationale offered for this deletion is that astronauts spend significant time outdoors for both training and recreation, but this is without supporting data and is inconsistent with the professed goal of assessing the overall risks of being an astronaut.
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From page 26... ...
The physician discovered that the iodine levels in the test subjects' drinking water was 5 milligrams per liter and the concentration of iodine in the water on the previous shuttle missions had ranged from 3 to 4 mg per liter. The decision was made to test the new group of 4 euthyroid astronauts at 30 days, and if thyroid function abnormalities were found, reduce the iodine concentration.
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From page 27... ...
Postflight elevations in TSH are also not seen in data from the 79 astronauts who have flown on the space shuttle after iodine levels in the drinking water were reduced to 0.25 mg/liter in 1998. The LSAH data were also searched for eight ICD codes related to clinical thyroid disease.
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From page 28... ...
3 Issues with Design and Implementation of the Current Longitudinal Study In an ideal world, the Longitudinal Study of Astronaut Health (LSAH) would provide the answer to a cascading series of questions about long term risks among three populations (see Table 3-1)
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