Updated on: 3/8/2019

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