7 Jan 2026 • Spinal cord injuries and disorders were linked to a higher risk of ischemic stroke, with the excess risk most pronounced in younger and more severely affected patients.

Key Findings:

• In a 5-year analysis of more than 560,000 veterans, including 12,450 with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D), stroke incidence was 19% higher in those with SCI/D than in those without (IRR 1.19).
• Patients with tetraplegia had the greatest excess risk, with ischemic stroke incidence 50% higher in those with high tetraplegia (IRR 1.50) and 31% higher in those with low tetraplegia (IRR 1.31).
• Patients younger than 40 years had more than double the stroke incidence compared with age-matched controls (IRR 2.25).
• Non-traumatic SCI/D was associated with a 36% higher stroke risk (IRR 1.36), whereas traumatic spinal cord injury was not linked to a significant increase.

The findings support more proactive vascular risk assessment and stroke prevention strategies in patients with SCI/D, particularly younger individuals and those with severe neurological impairment.

Source: Springer Nature| Read full story