Cardiovascular function after spinal cord injury: prevalence and progression of dysfunction during inpatient rehabilitation and 5 years following discharge.

Background. Autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI) is an under-researched area when compared with motor and sensory dysfunction. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is a particular concern, leading to impaired control of blood pressure and heart rate. Objectives. (1) To determine the prevalence of hypotension in individuals with SCI during and after rehabilitation; (2) To investigate changes in cardiovascular variables during and after rehabilitation; (3) To evaluate the influence of personal and lesion characteristics on cardiovascular variables. Methods. Cardiovascular variables (resting systolic [SAP] and diastolic [DAP] arterial pressures and resting [HRrest] and peak heart rates [HRpeak]) were measured on 5 test occasions: start of inpatient rehabilitation, 3 months later, at discharge, and at 1 and 5 years after discharge. The time course and effects of personal and lesion characteristics on cardiovascular variables were studied using multilevel regression analyses. Results. The preva...