Background: Chronic diseases impede the recovery trajectory of acutely injured persons with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). This study compares the odds of prevalent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity between persons with TSCI and persons with lower extremity fractures (LEF) who were discharged from acute care facilities. Methods: 1,776 patients with acute TSCI (cases) and 1,780 randomly selected patients with LEF (controls) discharged from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2009, from all nonfederal hospitals were identified. Data extracted from uniform billing files were compared between cases and controls in a multivariable logistic regression model controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariables. Results: Thirty percent of patients with acute TSCI had at least 1 of 4 conditions compared with 18% of patients with LEF (P < .0001). Persons with acute TSCI were 4 times more likely (odds ratio [OR], 4.05; 95% CI, 1.65–9.97) to have obesity, 2.7 times more likely to have heart disease (P < .001), 2 times more likely to have hypertension (P < .001), and 1.7 times more likely to have diabetes (P = .044) at the onset of TSCI. Disproportionately more Blacks than Whites have TSCI and chronic diseases. Conclusion: This study suggests that there is an increased burden of cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases among persons with acute TSCI compared with LEF trauma controls. Unattended comorbid conditions will affect quality of life and the recovery process. This warrants continuous monitoring and management of chronic diseases during the rehabilitation process.
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