Prevalence of previously undiagnosed heart disease in patients admitted with acute ischemic stroke to an emergency hospital in Goiás

Abstract

Introduction: Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for approximately 11% of all deaths. It is also a leading cause of functional disability in adults, with significant loss of autonomy and progressive cognitive decline. Several risk factors are associated with stroke, such as systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. Early detection of heart disease, especially in patients recently diagnosed with stroke, is essential for appropriate treatment and improved prognosis. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the prevalence of previously undiagnosed heart disease in patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke. Objective: To identify the main undiagnosed heart diseases in patients hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke. Methods: retrospective, observational, descriptive study, analyzing the medical records of patients admitted to the Dr. Valdemiro Cruz Emergency Hospital of Goiás in July, August, September, October, November, and December 2024. Data collection included demographic information, risk factors, comorbidities, and diagnoses made during hospitalization, with an emphasis on previously unknown cardiac diseases such as arrhythmias, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, intracavitary thrombi, moderate or severe valvular disease, and patent foramen ovale. The data were tabulated in Microsoft Excel® and presented descriptively. Results: During hospitalization, atrial fibrillation/flutter was observed in 14.9% of patients, Heart failure with mildly reduced or reduced ejection fraction in 12.4%, left ventricular segmental contractility abnormalities in 14.5%, and moderate or severe valve regurgitation or stenosis in 15.9% of patients. Left ventricle thrombus was also observed in 1.4% of patients and patent foramen ovale in 4.5%. Conclusion: In this study, we observed a high prevalence of underdiagnosed cardiac diseases in patients hospitalized due to acute ischemic stroke.