Reductions in Cardiac Structure and Function 24 Months After Spinal Cord Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the alterations in cardiac structure and function that occur in the months following spinal cord injury. Study Design Cross-sectional Setting Rehabilitation Hospital Participants Twenty-nine (4F) volunteers 3 to 24 months post spinal cord injury. Main Outcome Measures Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on each volunteer. The relationships of time since injury and neurological and sensory levels of injury to cardiac structure/function was assessed via multiple linear regression. Results Time since injury was most strongly associated with reductions in left ventricular end-diastolic volume (r2=0.156, p=0.034), end-systolic volume (r2=0.141, p=0.045), and mass (r2=0.138, p=0.047). These structural changes were paralleled by reduced stroke volume (r2=0.143 p=0.043) and cardiac output (r2=0.317, p= Conclusions These results suggest progressive reductions in left ventricular structure and systolic function from 3 to 24 months following SCI that occur independent of neurological and sensory levels of injury.