The Serum Lipoprotein Profile in Veterans With Paraplegia: The Relationship to Nutritional Factors and Body Mass Index

Individuals with spinal cord injury have a shortened life expectancy, with coronary heart disease as a leading cause of death. Identifying potentially reversible risk factors would be expected to be of value in the long-term care of the person with a spinal cord injury. We addressed the relationships among diet, body mass index, and serum lipid levels in 28 veterans with paraplegia compared to 52 age-matched ambulatory veteran controls. There are no significant differences in body mass index or in total caloric, saturated fat, or cholesterol intake between those with paraplegia and the control group. The serum HDL cholesterol level is significantly lower in those with paraplegia compared to the control group (35 +/- 2 vs 49 +/- 2 mg/dL). There are no significant differences noted in serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or triglycerides between the groups. Total caloric intake decreases significantly with age in the control subjects but not in the subjects with paraplegia. Inverse correlations are found between serum HDL cholesterol and serum triglycerides levels both in those with paraplegia (r = -0.54, p less than 0.005) and in the controls (r = -0.42, p less than 0.001). In our group of subjects with paraplegia, serum lipid levels appear to be independent of dietary intake and body weight.