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Coronary risk in spinal cord injury: assessment following a multivariate approach

D Cardús1, F Ribas-Cardús, W G McTaggart

  • 1Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Houston, TX.

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|October 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Men with spinal cord injury (SCI) do not face a higher risk of coronary heart disease compared to able-bodied individuals. SCI risk for coronary artery disease is similar to the general population and not linked to injury duration.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Spinal cord injury (SCI) can impact cardiovascular health.
  • Assessing coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in SCI patients is crucial for preventative care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if individuals with spinal cord injury have an elevated risk of coronary heart disease.
  • To compare CHD risk in SCI patients with age-matched, able-bodied controls.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 96 men with SCI was studied.
  • The Framingham study's multivariate approach was used to estimate 6-year CHD probability.
  • Data were compared against 96 non-trained, able-bodied men matched for age.

Main Results:

  • Patients with SCI exhibited a CHD risk similar to that of the control group.
  • Risk increased with age but remained comparable to the general population.
  • No significant correlation was found between CHD risk and the duration of SCI.

Conclusions:

  • Spinal cord injury does not appear to independently increase coronary heart disease risk.
  • Age is a significant factor in CHD risk for SCI patients, similar to the general population.
  • The study could not conclude if lesion level is an independent risk factor.

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