Therapeutic support and functional disability after ischemic stroke: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: to analyze the association between the therapeutic support received and the functional disability degree between two and three years after ischemic stroke, comparing functional disability level between 90 days and two to three years after the event. METHODS: of the 242 survivors followed, 155 were alive after three years. Sociodemographic and clinical instruments, a telephone protocol, and the Modified Rankin Scale were used. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher's exact, and McNemar tests (α=0.05). RESULTS: 62.6% presented with asymptomatic/mild dysfunction, and 37.4% with moderate to severe dysfunction. Despite functional improvement, many maintained or worsened their disability (p=0.6219). Follow-up was limited: appointments with neurologists (56.6%), physiotherapists (45.8%), nurses (15%), and secondary prophylaxis (53.6%). Individuals with greater disability had more follow-up, with significant association for physiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: there were gaps in therapeutic support, despite the persistence or progression of disabilities. Multidisciplinary follow-up is essential to prevent worsening and promote recovery.