The Cardiometabolic Benefits of Routine Physical Activity in Persons Living with Spinal Cord Injury

摘要

Health concerns related to aging have begun to play a greater role in the management of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). A particular concern that has emerged is cardiovascular disease (CVD); for long-term SCI, morbidity and mortality from CVD now exceeds that due to renal and pulmonary conditions. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for CVD, and this risk factor is particularly high in SCI. Physical activity in SCI is limited not only by the obvious physical barriers but also by availability of facilities and transportation, psychosocial barriers, and comorbidities. Structured programs of physical activity have been demonstrated to be beneficial for improving exercise capacity and reducing particular CVD risk factors in SCI, but there is inconsistency among the available studies. This article reviews the prevalence of CVD and associated cardiometabolic risk markers in SCI, and describes the available evidence supporting the benefits of physical activity in persons with SCI.