December 2023 CME Activity: Burden of Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury and Its Association With Rehabilitation Outcomes Results From the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort-Burden of Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury and Its Association With Rehabilitation Outcomes

Burden of Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury and Its Association With Rehabilitation Outcomes

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A study conducted in Switzerland has found that individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) have a high burden of cardiometabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The study included 706 participants without cardiovascular disease who were admitted for rehabilitation. The researchers assessed their cardiovascular risk profile and rehabilitation outcomes. They found that one third of the participants had a high cardiovascular risk profile before discharge. Poorer anthropometric measures were associated with higher cardiovascular risk and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Participants with higher respiratory function, mobility, and functional independence had higher HDL levels compared to those with lower scores. <br /><br />The study highlights the importance of screening for cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with SCI and targeting interventions to improve respiratory function, mobility, and overall independence. The researchers recommend early cardiometabolic screening before rehabilitation discharge, especially for those at high risk. They also suggest further research to explore sex differences in cardiovascular risk and outcomes in individuals with SCI, as well as the development of a new cardiovascular risk-scoring tool specific to this population.

Asset Subtitle

Results From the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort

Keywords

Switzerland

spinal cord injury

cardiometabolic syndrome

cardiovascular disease

rehabilitation

cardiovascular risk profile

anthropometric measures

high-density lipoprotein

respiratory function

mobility