From Orbit to Ontario: Longevity Research

Researchers in Waterloo are studying ageing in outer space to take long-term care into the next frontier.

WATERLOO, ON – Members of the Ontario Long Term Care Association recently had a chance to tour the Centre of Excellence for Innovation in Aging in Waterloo to see how leading research translates into practical innovations for older adults in long-term care. The reason behind the choice of words quickly became obvious.  

The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is a non-profit organization that uses research, education, and practice to redefine what it means to grow older. RIA is perfectly situated within a long-term care home and retirement home, supporting the natural evolution of ideas and innovations as they come to life. 

“What kind of research?” you ask. Since 2021, Dr. Richard Hughson and his team at the RIA in Waterloo have been video conferencing directly with astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) to explore ways to improve heart and brain health – for both astronauts and aging people on Earth. Excellent, indeed. 

“My research focuses on how increased arterial stiffness affects brain blood flow and how older persons experience dizziness and increased risk of falling. I have studied astronauts to understand how and why arteries have “aging-like” changes (increased carotid stiffness) after 6 months in space. My research in the science of human health developed from my own participation in competitive distance running and the belief that physical activity contributes to long and healthy lives.” – Richard Hughson 

Through this work, Hughson and his team discovered that astronauts returning from six months in space had arteries that looked and functioned as if they were 10-20 years older. The arteries were stiffer than predicted for their age, which meant the energy from the beating heart travels more quickly to the small vessels of the brain. This research has important implications for older adults in long-term care, where maintaining healthy blood flow and vascular function plays a key role in preventing dizziness, falls, and other age-related health challenges. 

Their latest research project is the Vascular Calcium study, and it involves Astronauts Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman on the ISS. Hughson and his team are working to determine if any calcium lost from bones during spaceflight goes into places it shouldn’t – like artery walls. The same understanding of how calcium moves through the body is helping long-term care teams on Earth support residents’ bone and heart health, ensuring safer care routines and reducing the risks linked to falls and mobility loss.  

Better Understanding Falls 

Another area of Hughson’s research focuses on preventing falls among older adults in Canada.  

Hughson says it’s important to note that there is a difference between “accidental” falls (a trip, slip, muscle weakness, poor balance, etc) and “unexplained” falls, which can arise from a drop in blood pressure, insufficient oxygen to the brain and fainting.  

“Dizziness caused by the drop in blood pressure could cause a fall without fainting (loss of consciousness), so this could cross over with poor balance. This latter point leaves a gray area, so I would try to ask about experiencing dizziness prior to the fall and a bit of history to help determine if the dizziness is due to neuro-vestibular factors or cardiovascular factors.” – Dr. Richard Hughson 

Many residents in long-term care homes experience similar balance and cardiovascular challenges. Research like Hughson’s helps inform safer care practices, guiding nursing teams to monitor residents for dizziness or changes in blood pressure that could lead to a fall.  

The Impact of Bedrest  

Through their research, Hughson and his team have found that people on bed rest – for even a few days – can experience cardiac and vascular changes that resemble decades of aging. Together with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Hughson is now looking into how exercise can mitigate these effects in individuals prescribed bed rest. 

 Sedentary Lifestyle 

Another interesting finding by Dr. Hughson and his team is that the short bouts of exercise astronauts do while in orbit aren’t enough to counteract months of floating around in space. And that weightlessness on the body? It’s very similar to the effects of a sedentary lifestyle down here on Earth. 

In long-term care homes, staff encourage residents to stay active through tailored physiotherapy, group exercise, or even short walks and stretches. Small actions that help maintain strength, connection, and confidence. 

And for the rest of us, if you’re spending a lot of time at your desk, in the car or on your couch, your body could be feeling the same effects.  

Dr. Hughson’s advice? Don’t just rely on one workout – find little ways to move your body throughout the day. Stretch, walk, dance, take the stairs. Your heart (and brain) will thank you.  

Hughson’s research on vascular health, bed rest, and falls prevention is invaluable to long-term care homes where more residents are living with complex care needs. His team’s findings are helping to shape safer environments, guide exercise and fall-prevention programs, and strengthen responsive nursing practices across Ontario. 

For members of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, this tour was about more than cutting-edge research – it was a reminder that ageing is a shared journey. Long-term care is part of Ontario’s publicly funded healthcare system, and homes across the province are continually adapting evidence-based practices like these to support residents’ dignity, safety and connection.  

The collaboration between researchers on Earth and astronauts in space mirrors the interconnectedness of Ontario’s long-term care communities. Just as astronauts rely on researchers to walk them through health monitoring, residents in long-term care rely on their care teams, families, and community partners to navigate the journey of ageing with dignity and purpose. 

You can read more about Dr. Hughson’s work on the effects of inactivity on Earth and in space on the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging website.