title: Cardiovascular disease risk and the need for prevention after paraplegia determined by conventional multifactorial risk models: the Stockholm spinal cord injury study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the need for intervention on cardio-vascular disease risks in persons with paraplegia according to: (i) two multifactorial risk models; and (ii) these models in combination with the additional risk of overweight/obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 134 out of 153 persons, comprising more than 80% of a regional prevalence population with traumatic paraplegia (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A-C) of minimum one year duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were screened for cardiovascular disease risk using two multifactorial risk models: the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation and the Framingham Risk Equation. Risk factors included were: age, gender, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, smoking, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio. In addition, overweight/obesity was assessed by body mass index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven percent to 36% of the cohort was eligible for cardiovascular disease risk intervention, depending on the risk model used. When overweight/obesity (spinal cord injury adjusted cut-score body mass index ≥ 22) was also considered, over 80% of the participants qualified for intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost one-third of persons with paraplegia were eligible for cardiovascular disease risk intervention according to authoritative assessment tools. The number in need of intervention was dramatically increased when overweight/obesity as a cardiovascular disease risk was considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Neurorehabilitation, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. kerstin.wahman@rehabstation.se
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wahman
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Ake
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seiger
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000150:complications*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult