Risk factors for ischemic stroke in patients admitted to the Stroke Unit of the Hospital de Clínicas, 2019-2023

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the risk factors for acute ischemic stroke in patients admitted to the Stroke Unit of the Hospital de Clínicas to understand its impact and the dependence it generates once the disease is established. Methodology: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective, retrospective, and descriptive study was conducted using simple randomized non-probabilistic sampling by convenience. Patients with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke were included, and severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results: A total of 489 patients were analyzed, with a mean NIHSS of 7.29. The most frequent clinical manifestations include language disturbances, motility disturbances, and facial alterations. A frequency distribution of neck vessel stenosis was observed in the patients, as well as the most frequent stroke location in the anterior circulation. Conclusions:  Arterial hypertension was the most common risk factor, affecting 92.2% of patients, followed by diabetes mellitus (40.1%), smoking (23.9%), obesity (23.3%), atrial fibrillation (17.6%), dyslipidemia (23.9%), and history of previous stroke (16.4%).