Lipid abnormalities in chronic renal failure associated with spinal cord injury.

Serum lipid fractions were studied in ten patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) associated with long-standing spinal cord injury (SCI). A group of age-and-sex-matched patients with long-standing SCI but normal renal function were included for comparison. Serum triglycerides were markedly elevated in SCI-CRF patients. Both SCI groups exhibited moderate hypocholesterolemia. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was severely reduced in the SCI-CRF group and moderately reduced in the SCI-control group. Chronic renal failure, reduced physical activity and several other factors may be operative in the genesis of hypertriglyceridemia and reduced HDL-cholesterol levels in this condition. Further investigations are necessary to examine the possible effect of these lipid abnormalities on the cardiovascular system in these patients.