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The Association Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sarah Zeyad Mahasin1, Bhaskar Thakur, Patricia Champagne

  • 1Author Affiliations:Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Mahasin), HealthPartners Neuroscience Center, St Paul, Minnesota; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Mahasin and Bell), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Thakur), Department of Family and Community Medicine, Peter O'Donnell Jr School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Champagne), Department of Applied Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Division of Cardiology (Joshi and Vigen), Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Driver and Pinto), Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts; and Health Sciences Digital Library and Learning Center (Whitfill), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
|March 19, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart conditions and hypertension. This highlights the need for proactive screening and management strategies post-TBI.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Public Health and Epidemiology

Background:

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasingly recognized as a chronic health condition with potential long-term systemic effects.
  • Growing evidence suggests a link between TBI and various health outcomes, necessitating further investigation into its impact on cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically investigate the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • To synthesize evidence from observational studies to quantify the risk of CVD in individuals with a history of TBI.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library) up to June 5, 2025.
  • Included were observational studies comparing CVD diagnoses between adults with and without TBI; meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models.
  • Quality assessment of included studies was performed using the NIH quality assessment tool.

Main Results:

  • The meta-analysis included 18 studies with over 3.9 million participants.
  • Individuals with TBI exhibited significantly higher odds of developing any CVD, coronary artery disease (CAD), arrhythmia, cardiac death, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
  • No significant association was found between TBI and heart failure in the unadjusted analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals with TBI demonstrate elevated risks for multiple cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, CAD, arrhythmia, and cardiovascular death.
  • These findings underscore the critical need for targeted clinical screening, prevention, and management strategies for cardiovascular health in the TBI population.
Abstract

Keywords:
atrial fibrillationcardiovascular diseasecardiovascular mortalitycongestive heart failurehyperlipidemiahypertensiontraumatic brain injury

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