Persons who have suffered a spinal injury in car accidents or motorcycle accidents are at a much higher risk of suffering heart disease down the line.
That information comes from a study conducted in Korea where researchers analyzed data on more than 5,000 patients who had suffered lumbar, cervical or thoracic spinal injury. They were looking at how many of these spinal injury survivors developed heart conditions including myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. They found that persons who had suffered lumbar and cervical spinal injury had a greater risk of myocardial infarctions and heart failure. The rates were slightly higher among those persons who had suffered severe disability as a result of their spinal injury.
The researchers believe that one of the reasons for this is the fact that spinal injury survivors have very limited mobility and ability to exercise. This causes the heart muscles to become weak due to the lack of exercise. The researchers also believe that it is important for doctors treating a person with spinal injury to factor in the increased risk of cardiac disease, including myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. It is important for spinal cord injury survivors and their families and caretakers to understand the higher risk of these specific heart conditions as a result of the injury. More education and awareness is needed, and greater efforts must be put into patient counselling.
Spinal cord injuries are serious injuries that can occur as a result of auto accidents like car accidents, pedestrian accidents and motorcycle accidents. They can also occur during slip and fall accidents when a person falls from a significant height.
Spinal injuries may result in devastating consequences for victims who may suffer from severely restricted movement and mobility. In cases of paraplegia, a victim may lose sensation or movement in his lower leg. He or she may be unable to walk independently, and may require mobility aids like wheelchairs to get around. Being restricted to a wheelchair or being in bed for long periods of time may result in a number of health consequences, including the development of cardiovascular diseases. Mental health may also suffer and conditions like depression and anxiety may develop after a person has suffered a spinal injury. Patients and their families must be counselled about all of these different consequences after a spinal injury, and caregivers must be trained to look for signs of deterioration in physical and mental health.
Persons who have suffered a spinal injury may qualify for compensation for their losses. Any compensation after a spinal cord injury must factor in not just the immediate expenses after a spinal injury like hospitalization or surgery costs, but also factor in the long term costs after an injury like cost of physical rehabilitation, mobility aids, specialized vehicles to get around, mental health counselling and other costs. If your loved one has suffered a spinal injury, talk to an Atlanta car accident lawyer at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages.