ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A1247 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ESTIMATES OF ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE IN MEXICO: A REAL-WORLD DATA ANALYSIS OF 2,591,278 HOSPITAL DISCHARGES FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Abstract Background and aims Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the second leading cause of death posing significant economic burden worldwide. Our study aims to provide epidemiological estimates of AIS in Mexico. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the 2023 Ministry of Health (MoH) discharges database using ICD-10 codes related to AIS (I630–I639) and collected data on demographics, geographic distribution, discharge motive, and healthcare affiliation. Results From the 2,591,278 discharges, we identified 2,144 AIS-related cases (0.08%). The most frequent diagnoses were unspecified cerebral infraction (CI) (I639; 59.4%) and CI due to cerebral artery embolism (I634; 14.8%). Male patients (54.1%), median age of 67 years (IQR 55–77), and married (29.8%) were predominant. Most patients resided in the central (40.3%) and the southern regions (23.4%). Improvement and death were the most common discharge reason, 68.6% and 18.1%, respectively. Most cases were first-time hospitalizations (91.8%), lasting 4 (IQR: 2–8) days. Most patients were admitted through the ER (93.8%), mainly by Internal Medicine (67.8%) and Neurology (11.8%) services, which also discharged most of the cases (69.8% and 12.7%). One-third of cases (36.9%) lacked healthcare affiliation or were unspecified (22.1%). August (10.3%) and December (9.3%) had the highest hospitalization rates. Conclusions Our RWD study indicates that at the MoH level, in Mexico, the number of AIS-related events is low and nonspecific, with high mortality and limited healthcare coverage, representing a significant burden, especially on emergency services. These findings highlight the need to improve diagnostic accuracy and expand the national healthcare infrastructure to optimize patient and healthcare system outcomes. Conflict of interest David Rodriguez, Rebeca Garcia-Toto, and Eduardo Sanchez are full time employee of Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico. Isaac Morales is a Real-World Evidence intern.