Nutritional Status, Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Profile in Individuals with Tetraplegia: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study.

Despite normal BMI values, participants with chronic tetraplegia showed elevated body fat percentages.

• Sample consisted of eleven adults with chronic tetraplegia.
• BMI values fell within normal ranges, yet body fat percentages were elevated, indicating a dissociation between these two measures.
• This discordance suggests BMI is inadequate for nutritional assessment in spinal cord injury populations.
• Anthropometric assessment included BMI, body fat percentage, and triceps skinfold measurement.

Triceps skinfold measurement showed a strong positive correlation with body fat percentage in participants with tetraplegia.

• Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.78, p = 0.004.
• This was one of the strongest statistically significant correlations observed in the study.
• The finding supports the utility of triceps skinfold as a proxy measure for body fat in this population.

Protein intake was inversely correlated with triglyceride levels in individuals with chronic tetraplegia.

• Pearson correlation coefficient r = -0.63, p = 0.038.
• This was a statistically significant cross-domain correlation between dietary intake and biochemical markers.
• Higher protein intake was associated with lower triglyceride levels.

Fasting glucose was positively correlated with total cholesterol in participants with tetraplegia.

• Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.61, p = 0.046.
• This represents a statistically significant association between two biochemical markers measured under fasting conditions.
• The finding suggests potential early metabolic alterations in this population.

Dietary intake in adults with chronic tetraplegia was characterized by excessive lipid consumption and suboptimal protein contribution.

• Dietary evaluation was conducted as part of cross-domain assessment alongside anthropometric and biochemical analyses.
• Higher energy and macronutrient intakes were associated with one another in cross-domain correlations.
• The dietary pattern was identified as a potential contributor to cardiometabolic risk.

Most cross-domain correlations between diet, body composition, and biochemical markers did not reach statistical significance, likely due to the limited sample size of eleven participants.

• The study enrolled only 11 adults with chronic tetraplegia, which the authors acknowledge as a limitation.
• Between-sex comparisons were explored using Mann-Whitney U tests.
• Data distribution was tested with the Shapiro-Wilk test.
• The authors described non-significant findings as providing 'exploratory insight into the interplay between diet, adiposity, and metabolic markers.'

The study concludes that integrated evaluation including body composition, dietary quality, and biochemical monitoring is needed to guide personalized interventions aimed at reducing cardiometabolic risk in individuals with spinal cord injury.

• BMI alone was identified as insufficient for nutritional assessment in this population.
• Participants showed signs of 'increased adiposity and early metabolic alterations despite normal BMI and modest reported energy intake.'
• The authors recommend combining body composition assessment, dietary quality evaluation, and biochemical monitoring as a comprehensive approach.