The prevalence of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes in traumatic spinal cord injured patients and amputees

The clinical impression that spinal cord injured and traumatic lower limb amputees are more prone to develop degenerative diseases was investigated by comparing the prevalance of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus in these two patient groups with the prevalence of these diseases among a group of healthy age- matched controls. Seventy seven spinal cord injured patients and 53 amputees fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in this study. Our results show a significant increased incidence of hypertension and ischaemic heart disease among those with spinal cord injuries compared with their controls; and among the amputees, a significant increased incidence of ischaemic heart disease and of diabetes mellitus.