It's no secret that prolonged periods spent in microgravity takes a toll on the human body. This includes muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and changes to the cardiovascular, endocrine, and nervous systems. But for female astronauts, there is also the greater risk of developing blood clots, according to recent findings. This highlights the fact that, to date, most studies of human health in space have involved male astronauts. But as the number of female astronauts continues to grow, more research is required to address potentially gender-related health risks.

This was the motivation behind a new study that examined how microgravity affects blood clotting, specifically in women. The study was conducted by Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the European Space Agency (ESA), with support provided through a grant from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It consisted of 18 women participating in a 5-day dry immersion test to assess the risk of developing potentially life-threatening blood clots. The results support existing evidence that women are at a greater risk of venous thromboembolism and identified hypercoagulability as a potential key mechanism.