Article

Scoping review. Objectives:To gain a better understanding of the
prevalence, course and association with age of secondary health conditions in
individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).Setting:Seattle, Washington,
USA.Methods:We performed searches of electronic databases for studies published
from 1986-2011 that provided information regarding the prevalence, course or
associations with age and duration of secondary health conditions in individuals
with SCI.Results:Ninety-two studies were included. The findings indicate that:
(1) individuals with SCI experience a number of secondary health conditions, many
of which occur at a higher rate in those with SCI than the normative population;
(2) the most common conditions or symptoms are pain, bowel and bladder regulation
problems, muscle spasms, fatigue, esophageal symptom and osteoporosis; (3) a
number of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone mineral
density loss, fatigue and respiratory complications or infections, occur with
higher frequency in older individuals or those with longer SCI duration, relative
to younger individuals or those with shorter SCI duration; and (4) there is a
marked lack of longitudinal research examining the natural course of health
conditions in individuals aging with SCI.Conclusions:The findings support the
conclusion that individuals with SCI show signs of 'premature aging' in different
organ systems. Longitudinal research is needed to understand when problems are
most likely to emerge, and to develop and test the efficacy of interventions to
prevent these health conditions and their negative impact.

Langue : ANGLAIS