People with spinal cord injuries more likely to develop chronic disorders

People with traumatic spinal cord injuries face a higher risk of developing long-term health conditions, regardless of their age, injury location or previous health status, new research has found.

Researchers found that patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) were more likely to develop cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological and psychiatric disorders than people without such injuries.

The study tracked patients for up to 20 years after injury, recording the development of chronic conditions and mortality rates.

Investigators from Mass General Brigham analysed hospital registries from January 1996 to January 2024, including 1,038 patients with TSCI from their system and 1,711 from the University of California (UC) Health System.

Compared with matched controls without spinal injuries, patients with TSCI had significantly higher risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and diabetes, as well as other neurological and psychiatric conditions. The injuries were also linked to an increased risk of death, even among previously healthy patients.

“The journey doesn’t end when patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries leave the hospital or rehab. Programmes should be implemented to identify patients at risk so that we can better manage their chronic care and address health issues that put patients at higher risk of death,” said corresponding author Dr Saef Izzy, neurologist at Mass General Brigham’s department of neurology.

Dr Izzy said patients with TSCI often returned to clinics with hypertension, stroke, depression and diabetes, but it was unclear how common these conditions were among this group. While immediate complications such as breathing difficulties and blood pressure problems are well documented, few studies have investigated the long-term health consequences.

Researchers used established medical codes to identify new conditions and excluded patients with pre-existing disorders. This approach may mean the findings underestimate how common chronic conditions are among TSCI patients, as the analysis focused on those who were healthier at the start of the study.

“These findings highlight the need for proactive and multidisciplinary long-term care strategies,” Dr Izzy said. “Future studies are needed to identify effective interventions to reduce the burden of chronic disease among patients who have had a TSCI.”