Clinical-epidemiological profile of the hospitalized patient with Alzheimer in the State of São Paulo

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and its prevalence practically doubles every five years from the age of 60. The progression of the disease determines cognitive deterioration, impairment of basic daily activities and the need for multiple hospitalizations. Objectives: Characterize the clinical-epidemiological profile of hospitalizations for Alzheimer’s in the state of São Paulo, in the period from 2015 to 2019. Design and Setting: Epidemiological, descriptive and retrospective study with quantitative analysis. Methods: Data provided from the Hospital Morbidity System (SIH-SUS) of the Ministry of Health. Results: A total of 2270 hospitalizations were identified, with a decrease in the number of hospitalizations over the five years (590 in 2015 and 435 in 2019). There was a predominance in people over 80 years old. About 68% of hospitalizations were on an urgent basis. The mortality rate increased 286.23% between 2015 and 2019, and the region with the highest number of hospitalizations was the greater São Paulo (n=1318). Conclusion: The increase in the mortality rate, associated with the reduction in the number of hospitalizations over the years and the predominance of hospitalizations on an urgent basis, may indicate that hospitalizations occur in the presence of a more severe disease, whether due to better management of moderate disease or late diagnosis of its complications. The predominance of hospitalizations in the greater São Paulo region indicates a centralization of health services and technological resources.