William J Rowe

Title : Hypertension and Myocardial Infarction Risk from Inhalation of Iron Brake Particulate Matter

Abstract:

Of 12 moon walkers, James Irwin on day after return from Apollo 15 mission, showed extraordinary bicycle ( B) stress test (ST) hypertension ( 275/125) after 3 minutes exercise; supervising > 5000  maximum treadmill  ST, author never witnessed ST- blood pressure approaching this level.  Symptom-limited maximum B stress test showed “cyanotic fingernails”; possibly venous blood trapped peripherally, supporting author’s “Apollo 15 Space Syndrome,” postulating that severe fingertip pain during space walks, triggered by plasma fluid, trapped distally;  mechanism could be related to endothelial dysfunction, providing “silent ischemia” warning.  Neil Armstrong returned to Earth with severe diastolic hypertension  ( 160/135), consistent with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction; 50 mm increase in comparison with resting  BP 110/85. With inhalation of lunar dust, brought into habitat on space suit, with high lunar iron (I) this dust inhalation, along with reduced (R) space flight- transferrin, R antioxidant, calcium  (Ca) blocker -  magnesium, conducive to severe oxidative stress, Ca overload  with potential endothelial injuries. Using moon walker studies as example, my recent editorials show that I dust, released from brakes, with over 90% of brakes made of I, is a major hypertension factor and may  also contribute to myocardial infarctions. 

Biography:

William J. Rowe M.D. FBIS (Fellow British Interplanetary Society), FACN (Fellow American College of Nutrition), is a board certified specialist in Internal Medicine. He received his M.D. at the University of Cincinnati and was in private practice in Toledo, Ohio for 34 years. During that time he supervised over 5000 symptom - limited maximum hospital-based treadmill stress tests. He studied 3 world class extraordinary endurance athletes and published their exercise-related magnesium deficiencies. This triggered a 20 year pursuit of the cardiovascular complications of Space flight. Of only 4 space syndromes, he has published 2: "The Apollo 15 Space Syndrome" and "Neil Armstrong Syndrome."