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Metabolic Syndrome Risk Scores in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury versus Non-Spinal Cord Injury Populations
Location: 20
Mentor: Dr. Gary Farkas
Background/Objectives: Spinal cord injury (SCI) elevates cardiovascular (CV) risk via physiological changes.1 Continuous measures like the Metabolic Syndrome Severity Score (MSSS) may better capture this risk.2,3 We compared MSSS between individuals with SCI and controls, hypothesizing higher scores in SCI and positive associations with CV risk.
Materials/Methods: Participants >18 years old with chronic (≥1-y post-injury) SCI and controls were recruited and completed informed consent at the Lynn Rehabilitation Center. Fifty-one individuals with chronic SCI (age 37.9±11.8 y, 79% male, BMI 26.0±6.5 kg/m², 59% tetraplegia, AIS A-C, injury duration 12.1±11.8 y) were age/sex-matched to 42 controls (age 37.7±12.5 y, 79% male, BMI 26.0±3.8 kg/m²). MSSS was calculated using the MetS Calculator.4,5,6 Positive MSSS indicates higher cardiometabolic risk; negative scores indicate favorable health. CV risk was quantified using published criteria. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, z-tests, and independent t-tests.
Results: MSSS was similar between SCI and controls (SCI: -0.22, 42nd percentile vs. controls: -0.45, 35th percentile; p=0.12). MSSS positively correlated with the 10-year risk of CV disease (CVD10, r=0.32), the 10-year risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD10, r=0.36), and the 10-year risk of heart failure (HF10, r=0.25) across all participants (p0.05).
Conclusions/Significance: Although MSSS was positively associated with CV risk in both groups, scores were similar, suggesting MSSS may underestimate CV risk in SCI. Injury-specific factors like autonomic dysfunction, inflammation, and myopenia may contribute more, highlighting the need for SCI-specific assessments.
