This investigation analyses up to 5.5 years longterm-prognosis of 956 patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to hospital between 1.1.86-31.12.90. The probability of survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier-indices and compared with the population of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. The longterm prognosis of all patients and age subgroups with ischemic stroke was worse compared to the normal population. Determinants of longterm mortality were age, obesity, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and organic brain syndrome at discharge from hospital. Hypercholesterinaemia and smoking did not affect longterm outcome.