Study Suggests Spinal Cord Injuries Correlate With Heart Disease

Updated on: 3/8/2019

Spinal cord injury study suggests heart disease

A new research study suggests that spinal cord injury victims may have a higher risk of heart disease. According to researcher Rianne Ravensbergen, damage to the autonomic nervous system is a central predictor of cardiovascular risk.

Even if they are maintaining a healthy lifestyle, they remain a high risk of cardiovascular disease.

“In this specific group we should also be looking at whether they have autonomic dysfunction, because this causes a higher risk for heart disease,” she said.

When a person suffers from spinal cord injury, the autonomic nerves in the spinal cord can be damaged, which leads to problems in autonomic function, particularly the control of the heart and blood vessels.

The study consisted of 20 spinal cord injury patients and 14 people in the control group, to determine risk for cardiovascular disease, including glucose tolerance measurements, body mass index, abdominal fat and body fat.

In her study, she found that those with autonomic dysfunction had issues with blood sugar. “These people are in a pre-diabetic state, which elevates their risk for heart disease,” she says.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

Automobile accidents cause 42.1 % of spinal cord injuries. More than 11,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury each year in the United States, while some victims will experience a full recovery, others will be completely and permanently paralyzed. Car accidents are also frequently the cause of other serious back injuries such as a herniated disc.

Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

If you have suffered from spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another person or entity, you may be entitled to compensation. The car accident attorneys at Davis Law Group are here to help you. Contact Davis Law Group at (206) 727-4000 to schedule a free consultation.

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