Cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity following spinal cord injury

Individuals with spinal cord injuries are at a higher risk for developing chronic health conditions. These conditions can be secondary to the injury itself or influenced by the aging process. This study compares the occurrence of cardiovascular and metabolic (cardiometabolic) diseases in adults with spinal cord injuries to those without. It uses data from a large insurance claims database. The findings suggest that adults with spinal cord injuries have a significantly higher risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. This highlights the need for better screening and early interventions to reduce this risk.

• 1
  Adults with traumatic SCIs had a higher 5-year incidence of any cardiometabolic morbidities (56.2% vs. 36.4%) compared to adults without SCI.
• 2
  Adults with SCI had a greater hazard for any cardiometabolic morbidity (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 1.67; 95%CI: 1.58, 1.76).
• 3
  Fully adjusted survival models demonstrated that adults with SCI had a greater hazard for any cardiometabolic morbidity (HR: 1.29; 95%CI: 1.22–1.36).