Your Heart After SCI — What You Need to Know

Heart disease is more common after a spinal cord injury. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Most people think of heart disease as something that happens with age or bad habits. But if you’ve had a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), your heart may be at greater risk — regardless of how young or healthy you were before your injury.

A major 2025 study tracked thousands of people with SCIs over nearly three decades. It found that people with traumatic SCIs were significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) problems compared to people without SCIs.

Here’s what the numbers showed: people with SCIs were about 60% more likely to develop high blood pressure (hypertension) than people without injuries. They were also 80% more likely to develop coronary artery disease — a condition where the arteries that supply blood to your heart become narrowed or blocked. And they were 2.5 times more likely to have an ischemic stroke, the kind caused by a blood clot blocking blood flow to the brain.

So why does this happen? After an SCI, the body’s ability to regulate the nervous system changes. The part of your nervous system that controls automatic functions — like blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow — is often disrupted. This can lead to blood pooling in the legs, swings in blood pressure, and reduced ability to exercise. All of these things increase strain on the heart over time.

Reduced physical activity after SCI also plays a role. When the body moves less, it becomes harder to maintain a healthy weight, keep blood sugar in check, and keep arteries clear. The study also found higher rates of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) after SCI, which adds to cardiovascular risk.

The good news is that heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are all manageable with the right medical care. The key is knowing you’re at risk and staying on top of it.

What you can do: Talk with your doctor about regular heart health screenings. Ask about blood pressure checks, cholesterol tests, and blood sugar monitoring. Discuss any exercise options available to you — even adapted or wheelchair-based exercise can help protect your heart.

Source: Mashlah A, et al. JAMA Network Open, November 2025.