[Characterization of stroke patients attended at IMSS hospitals in Mexico City]

Cerebrovascular disease (CD) is considered a problem of huge social, economic and public health implications worldwide in adults and elderly. In Mexico, the information concerning the provision of services to people and their characteristics is limited. The objective is to describe the characteristics of patients with CV who attended the hospitals of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) in Mexico City.

It was carried out a cohort study of patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic CD who arrived to IMSS. Patients were recruited from seven IMSS general hospitals in Mexico City from June, 2013, to October, 2014.

We assigned 430 subjects with CD (78.14% had ischemic CD). There were no statistical differences regarding gender. The median age of patients was 74 years. During their first 72 hours of hospital stay, it was assessed language proficiency in 90%, the ability to walk in 16.3% and the ability to move extremities in 94%. The main risk factors were hypertension, 84%; diabetes mellitus, 46.3%; history of CD, 25.1%; smoking history, 13.7%. 80% of patients reported that their health was regular or poor.

General characteristics of patients and vascular risk factors are similar to those reported by other studies. Secondary prevention strategies are performed in less time than that recommended by international standards. It is urgent to design strategies to build better ways of care during the acute phase of patients with CD.