Objective — to improve the diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease (CVD), by using a unified questionnaire in hypertensive patients in primary health care facilities. Subject and methods. The investigation enrolled 257 patients who had grades 1—3 hypertension, as evidenced by primary medical records. The survey was done using the unified questionnaire to identify the probability of CVD. Its diagnosis was verified by the medical specialists: a neurologist and a cardiologist. The physicians prescribed, if necessary, additional testing: a treadmill exercise test, Holter ECG monitoring, duplex scanning of the brachiocephalic arteries, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography of the brain. Results. CVD was first detected in 20.2% of the patients. The presence of previously unrecognized CVDs was associated with smoking (OR=2.11; p=0.038) and hypertension duration (OR=1.03; p=0.047). This investigation demonstrated that 29.6% of the hypertensive patients had a history of a hypertensive cerebral crisis (HCC). Primary medical records indicated that before the survey, this diagnosis was correctly made in only 5.3%. Analysis of outpatient records showed that antihypertensive drugs had been prescribed in 88.7% of the patients. Target blood pressure levels were achieved in 66.1% of cases. Neuroprotective agents were used in only 29.2% of cases. Conclusion. The questionnaire is a simple and reliable tool to diagnose and detect CVD in outpatient settings. The premedical and medical application of a unified questionnaire makes it possible to see the so-called cerebral complaints in hypertensive patients and to correctly assess the clinical significant features of HCC.