title: Prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease stratified by body mass index categories in patients with wheelchair-dependent paraplegia after spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess risk factors for cardiovascular disease at different body mass index values in persons with wheelchair-dependent paraplegia after spinal cord injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 135 individuals, age range 18-79 years, with chronic (≥ 1 year) post-traumatic paraplegia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body mass index was stratified into 6 categorical groups. Cardiovascular disease risk factors for hypertension, diabetes mellitus and a serum lipid profile were analysed and reported by body mass index category.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 80% of the examined participants had at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor irrespective of body mass index level. Hypertension was highly prevalent, especially in men. Dyslipidaemia was common at all body mass index categories in both men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher body mass index values tended to associate with more hypertension and diabetes mellitus, whereas dyslipidaemia was prevalent across all body mass index categories. Studies that intervene to reduce weight and or percentage body fat should be performed to determine the effect on reducing modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. peter.flank@home.se
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Flank
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wahman
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fahlström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014910:Wheelchairs; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications; D055815:Young Adult