Project Type:
Modular (Joint)Lead Center:
South Florida SCIMSPrincipal Investigator Name:
Principal Investigator Email:
Start Date:
09/01/2021End Date:
08/31/2026Participating Centers:
Target Population(s):
Project Website:
Abstract:
Past studies have identified excessive cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk after SCI. In the 2016-2021 SCIMS cycle, four SCIMS centers led by the SFSCIMS: 1) explored early CMD risks and 2) examined whether SCI stakeholders were aware of these risks. Our first manuscript reported a daunting 74% of subjects were obese within two months of SCI vs. 38.5% of controls (p<0.05). We reported insulin resistance (IR) in 37.5% of SCI subjects, while 31.6% of SCI subjects had ≥3 CMD risk determinants - 40.7% higher than controls (p<0.05). Other findings forecasted excessive risk for heart attack and stroke. Only 23/197 measured CMD risk factors had been shared by their healthcare team (p< 0.0001), with substantial disagreement between participant recall of CMD risks and clinical testing. None of the subjects reportedly received lifestyle recommendations for risk mitigation, and only 1/125 received appropriate (i.e., onlabel) medications for risks. Hence, our overarching goal is to build on these findings, address unanswered questions, and create a stakeholder-validated and clinically-tested education module to mitigate these disturbing risks and findings.
