Weight control is crucial for traumatic brain injury survivors

On Behalf of | Jul 13, 2018 | Brain Injuries

People who have suffered from head injuries have a host of things that they have to worry about. According to a new study that was published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, obesity is now a concern for these individuals. It found that people who are obese or overweight after suffering a traumatic brain injury classified as moderate to severe have a greater risk of chronic diseases.

The study looked at 7,287 adult patients who had gone through acute rehabilitation. In the early days after the injury, the metabolic rate increased and caused weight loss. As time passed, the patients gained weight due to many factors, including physical limitations and medications.

Many chronic health conditions were noted int he study. Some, such as heart failure, high blood pressure, and diabetes, are associated with people above a normal weight regardless of head injury status.

One that was striking for the traumatic brain injury patients was seizures. The frequency of them was related to the patient’s health status and weight.

Patients with traumatic brain injuries do have one benefit over the general population. The prevalence of being overweight or obese is lower in the patients than in the general population. TBI patients had a 59 percent overweight/obesity rate, but the population as a whole is more than 70 percent.

With the inclusion of weight concerns following the injury, some patients might be facing a change in their treatments and followups. Ultimately, each victim will have to do what he or she feels is best. This is also true in situations related to filing for compensation after the incident.

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