Body mass index in spinal cord injury – a retrospective study

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective chart review. Objective: To identify the prevalence of overweight and severely overweight (obese) in veterans with spinal cord injury. Setting: Veterans Administration Hospital in Wisconsin. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all the patients registered in the current database with the Spinal Cord Injury Unit in the Veterans Administration Hospital was undertaken Data collected for each patient included age, sex, height, date of assessment of the height, weight, date of assessment of the weight, duration of spinal cord injury and the type of spinal cord injuryparaplegia versus quadriplegia. The body mass index (BMI) was subsequently calculated for each patient and the prevalence of overweight and obesity were determined. Results: There were a total of 408 patients registered in the database with the Spinal Injury Unit. The median age was 56 years, and the mean age 55.8 years. Of all patients with spinal cord injury, 52.2% patients had paraplegia and 47.7% had quadriplegia. The mean duration of injury was 19 years. Of the total number of patients, 46.0% were ASIA A, 11.0% were ASIA B, 12.7% were ASIA C and 29.1% were ASIA D. In all, 27.9% patients had a normal BMI and 3.6% patients were undernourished (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m 2 ). The prevalence of overweight was 65.8% and 29.9% patients were obese. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are problems of a significant magnitude in veterans with spinal cord injury.Spinal Cord (2006) 44, 92-94.

The effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in men with chronic spinal cord injury: a clinical trial

“…[8][9][10][11][12] Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition and entails considerable burden on the individual and society. 13,14 Persons with chronic SCI are at increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation [15][16][17][18][19] because of changes in their lifestyle, body composition and fat mass. 20 However, these complications may be preventable and treatable.…”

Secondary complications and subjective well-being in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury: associations with self-reported adiposity

“…Approximately 66% of individuals with SCI are overweight or obese. 1 Given the limitations of obesity-related measurement for persons with SCI, this statistic likely underestimates the true prevalence of overweight and obesity in the SCI population. 2 In both the able-bodied and the SCI populations, excess body fat has been associated with an elevated risk of many chronic diseases, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.…”

Functional electrical stimulation after spinal cord injury: current use, therapeutic effects and future directions

“…Increased body fat mass Being overweight or obese is common among persons with SCI, 118 even more so than in the general population. Even when body mass index, that is, body weight as a function of height, is near normal, body fat mass is increased in persons with SCI, [118][119][120] that is, persons with SCI who do not appear to be obese, carry relatively large amounts of fat tissue.…”