Mapping the Evidence on Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Individuals Experiencing Disability: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

To map the existing evidence on CVD risk among individuals with complex and disabling health conditions including traumatic brain injury (TBI), multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), cerebral palsy (CP), spina bifida (SB), and poliomyelitis and identify gaps to guide future research. A scoping review was conducted following an established framework and pre-registered protocol. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from inception until March 17, 2025. Data on study characteristics, populations, outcomes, and risk factors were extracted and synthesized descriptively. A total of 38 observational studies published between 2001 and 2024, comprising more than 1.6 million individuals, met the inclusion criteria. Most studies compared these populations with the general population, focusing on stroke-related outcomes, and revealed a limited, fragmented, and geographically uneven evidence base with little attention to within-group determinants. Overall, the literature reflects growing interest in cardiovascular risk among individuals with complex and disabling health conditions but is limited by methodological heterogeneity, uneven condition representation, and reliance on administrative data. Future research would benefit from standardized disability definitions using consistent diagnostic criteria, improved reporting of patient-level factors, and broader representation across impairment groups and regions.