Male Astronauts More Likely To Develop Heart Disease In Zero G

Steady, fellas.

A new study from the Medical College of Ohio says the astronauts most capable of reaching Mars and coming back safely, healthy and whole -- are women.

The reason, according to Professor William Rowe: Men in their 30s and 40s -- the ideal age for such a mission into space -- are more likely than women to develop early forms of heart disease. That's a problem only made worse by long-duration space flight. Rowe was quoted in the British newspaper The Independent.

On the other hand, women under 30 have a hormonal edge in the fight against heart disease.

Men, writes the professor, retain more iron in their bloodstreams than do women and, on long space flights, those levels could become toxic.

Women, because of their smaller body mass and their need for fewer calories, produce less waste, according to the report.

Okay, Rowe admits in the study that there is the issue of menstruation. The professor says a woman's monthly cycle can cause problems on spacewalks. But that's a small risk, he argues. Aside from that factor, Rowe writes in the Journal of Men's Health and Gender that any trip to Mars should not be manned.

In his opinion, it should be "womanned."

Sally Melvill, are you listening?

FMI: www.mco.edu