Introduction:

stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity, mortality, and disability worldwide. It is characterized by an acute and persistent focal neurological dysfunction resulting from an imbalance between oxygen supply and demand in brain tissue.

Objective:

to determine the frequency of cognitive impairment and residual disability in patients hospitalized for stroke in the Department of Internal Medicine at the National Medical Center - National Hospital, during the period 2023-2024.

Methodology:

a descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted using consecutive case sampling. Patients over 16 years of age with a clinical and/or imaging diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were included. Those with severe neurological déficits preventing proper application of cognitive test were excluded.

Results:

a total of 128 patients were analyzed, of whom 66 (51.6 %) had hemorrhagic stroke. Females represented 52.3 % of the sample, with a mean age of 61.9 ± 14.5 years. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (91.6 %), diabetes mellitus (36.7 %), obesity (31.2 %), and tabacco uso disorder (20.3 %). According to the modified Rankin Scale, 28.1 % had very mild disability, 19.5 % moderately severe disability, and 3.9 % were asymptomatic. Based on the Mini-Mental State Examination, 39.8% showed cognitive impairment, 28.9 % suspected impairment, and 16.4 % a high probability of dementia. The mean hospital stay was 24.1 ± 13 days, and 81.2 % of patients were discharged.

Conclusión:

a high frequency of cognitive impariment and residual disability was observed among stroke patients, with hemorrhagic stroke being the most prevalent type and hypertension the predominant comorbidity. These findings highlight the importance of incorporationg neurocognitive and functional assessment into routine follow-up and strengthening prevntion and control strategies for cardiovascular risk factors.

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