HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mark, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mark, S.

From Earth to Mars: Sex Differences and Their Implications for Musculoskeletal Health

Dr. Mark is Senior Medical Advisor, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Neither Dr. Mark nor the department with which she is affiliated has received anything of value from or owns stock in a commercial company or institution related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.

Historically, most diagnostic and treatment modalities have been based on a male model. Osteoporosis is one of the few diseases in which there has been sex-based research and treatment bias in favor of women. As such, it is not known whether treatments developed for women will be efficacious for men. Similarly, scientists are just beginning to research whether sex-based differences in musculoskeletal health exist with extended space travel. Both women and men lose muscle and bone with extended space travel, but the low numbers of female astronauts combined with a lack of discrete data make it challenging to accurately pinpoint sex-based differences. More data collection is needed to ensure that the musculoskeletal health of astronauts is better managed both on earth and in space.