Serum lipid profile in subjects with traumatic spinal cord injury.

Few large studies have examined the relationship between spinal cord injury (SCI) and lipid profile. We studied serum lipid concentrations in subjects with traumatic SCI in relation to the degree of neurological involvement and time since injury, and compared them with values from a reference sample for the Spanish population (DRECE study).A retrospective cohort was built from 177 consecutive cases with traumatic SCI admitted to the SCI unit of the Miguel Servet Hospital in Aragon (Spain). Outcome measures (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c and LDL-c levels) were analyzed according to the ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS), neurological level of injury (involvement of all limbs vs. only lower limbs), and time since injury. All analyses were adjusted for age and sex.Cases without preserved motor function (AIS A or B) had lower total and HDL cholesterol than the others (-11.4 [-21.5, -1.4] mg/dL total cholesterol and -5.1 [-8.8, -1.4] mg/dL HDL-c), and cases with all-limb involvement had lower total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol than those with only lower-limb involvement (-14.0 [-24.6, -3.4] mg/dL total cholesterol, -4.1 [-8.0, -0.2] mg/dL HDL-c, and -10.0 [-19.7, -0.3] mg/dL LDL-c) (all p<0.05). No association was found between lipid concentrations and time since injury. Concentrations of lipid subfractions and triglycerides in SCI subjects were lower than in sex- and age-stratified values from the reference sample.A high degree of neurological involvement in SCI (anatomically higher lesions and AIS A or B) is associated with lower total cholesterol and HDL-c

Sample characteristics.

<p>Notes: AIS, ASIA Impairment Scale.</p><p>The data are means (SD) for quantitative variables and percentages for qualitative variables.</p><p>*, years</p><p>†, %</p><p>‡, mg/dL</p><p>Sample characteristics.</p

Differences in serum lipids classified according to motor grade and neurological level of injury.

<p>Notes: AIS, ASIA Impairment Scale.</p><p>All data shown are adjusted differences (95%CI) in a regression model including motor grade (AIS A-B vs. C-E), neurological level of injury (proximal [upper limb involvement] vs. distal [only lower limb involvement]), age, and sex.</p><p>*, mg/dL</p><p>Differences in serum lipids classified according to motor grade and neurological level of injury.</p

Differences in serum lipids classified according to a combined classification of motor grade and neurological level of injury.

<p>Notes: AIS, ASIA Impairment Scale.</p><p>All data shown are adjusted differences in a regression model including the combined motor grade and neurological lesion level, age, and sex.</p><p>*, mg/dL.</p><p>Differences in serum lipids classified according to a combined classification of motor grade and neurological level of injury.</p

Differences in serum lipids classified according to detailed neurological level of injury.

<p>Notes: All data shown are adjusted differences in a regression model including motor grade (AIS A-B vs. C-E), neurological lesion level (cervical vs. thoracic vs. lumbo-sacral), age, and sex.</p><p>*, mg/dL.</p><p>Differences in serum lipids classified according to detailed neurological level of injury.</p