Originally posted by Pooka1
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Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1992 Sep;17(9):1091-6.
Long-term follow-up of patients with untreated scoliosis. A study of mortality, causes of death, and symptoms.
Pehrsson K, Larsson S, Oden A, Nachemson A.
Department of Lung Medicine, Renströmska Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Abstract
The mortality and causes of death in 115 patients (80 women), born 1902-1937, with untreated scoliosis were compared to the expected according to official Swedish statistics. Subgrouping for cause and onset of scoliosis was done. Fifty-five patients had died; 21 of respiratory failure and 17 of cardiovascular diseases. The mortality was significantly (P less than 0.001) increased. The increased risk was apparent at 40-50 years of age. The mortality was significantly increased in infantile (P less than 0.001) and juvenile (P less than 0.01) scoliosis but not in adolescent scoliosis. The mortality was also increased in post-polio scoliosis, scoliosis combined with rickets and scoliosis of unknown etiology indicating an increased mortality in idiopathic scoliosis. Among the surviving patients anti-hypertensive treatment was frequent (23 of 50).
PMID: 1411763 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
I'll have to check the full paper out and see if they mention the % of people in the control group who ended up with scoliosis. (I just had the thought that some number of people in the control would have had undiagnosed scoliosis when they were young.) There's no great way to know who had no scoliosis when they were younger, unless they have scoliosis films taken as a teenager.
--Linda
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