Just read this study and hope that NASA and the other space agencies around the world aren't going to put too much stock in it. The study was conducted by Michael Delp. [ Delp’s research found that 43 percent of deceased Apollo astronauts died from a cardiovascular problem. That is four to five times higher than non-flight astronauts and astronauts who have traveled in low Earth orbit.] He goes on to say that they were exposed to high levels of radiation that other astronauts haven't received and that has led to their cardiovascular disease. I don't know how he got the number (43%) since I only only can come up with 37.5% since only three of the 8 Apollo astronauts who have gone to the Moon have died from heart disease. The problem with the study is: first of all the sample is so small with a total of 24 astronauts going into deep space, and only three have died from heart disease, Neil Armstrong, Ronald Evans and James Irwin(had undiagnosed heart disease prior to his flight and had irregular heartbeat while on Moon) The other five have died in a motorcycle accident(Pete Conrad), two from cancer (James Swigert Alan Shepard) , one from pancreatitis(Stuart Roosa), and one from a brief undisclosed illness(Edgar Mitchell). So with only 8 having died to date and of those 8 only three actually dying from heart disease it's hard to place any scientific basis of truth to the claim that they had higher rates of heart disease than that of the general population. Actually if you take into account only the Apollo astronauts who went into deep space 24 in all and that most have lived well into their 80's then the 3 who died from cardiovascular disease makes the numbers dying from cardiovascular disease much lower than the national average. If anything qualifies under the term of voodoo science it is this study.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...o-astronauts-had-more-heart-disease/87676650/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...o-astronauts-had-more-heart-disease/87676650/