Epidemiologia do acidente vascular cerebral na região nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is considered a health risk condition, which manifests itself with the interruption of blood flow, preventing blood from reaching the brain, causing brain damage. The object of research is the Epidemiology of Stroke in northeastern Brazil. Objective: To describe the epidemiological situation of stroke in northeastern Brazil from 2013 to 2023. Methodology: A descriptive and retrospective epidemiological study was carried out using secondary data collected from the database of the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System. Searches were carried out from October to December 2024. Data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel® 2013 software. Results: In the period analyzed between 2013 and 2023, there were a total of 486,010 hospitalizations due to stroke in the northeastern region of Brazil, where the state of Bahia represents the highest prevalence per 100,000 inhabitants with 138.31 (28%) hospitalizations, followed by the state of Pernambuco (113.30). The age group with the majority of these cases is represented by individuals between 70 and 79 years old, with 27% of cases. Males represent 51% of hospitalizations. Regarding race/color, self-declared brown people correspond to 57% of cases. The state with the highest average number of days of hospitalizations was Sergipe, with an average stay of 9.3 days. Regarding the place of occurrence, hospitals were responsible for recording 59.21% of deaths. The state of Bahia represented the highest number of deaths among the states, with 30%. When analyzing the data collected, it is observed that the number of hospitalizations due to stroke is strongly related to the aging of the population, both in terms of males and females. Thus, the adoption of intervention measures targeted at this population becomes essential to mitigate controllable and preventable risk factors. Conclusion: The epidemiological profile of people affected by the disease in northeastern Brazil is represented by elderly men aged 70 or over, self-declared brown, with the state of Bahia being the largest representative of hospitalizations and, consequently, the highest number of deaths. However, the longest average length of hospital stay is represented by the state of Sergipe. Therefore, due to the high social inequalities in the region associated with the high costs required to care for people with sequelae of stroke, it is necessary to develop epidemiological studies to support more effective health policies.