Objectives. To find out cardiovascular risk factors and the effect of atherosclerotic lesions of carotid arteries on the level of disability of young and middle-aged patients to the end of the acute period of ischemic stroke (II). Material and methods. A study included 266 patients, aged from 25 to 59 years, with a first-ever II in the carotid system. Risk for cerebrovascular diseases (arterial hypertension, smoking, auricular fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, high atherogenic index, excessive body mass, hypodynamia, a family history for cerebrovascular diseases, a history of transitory ischemic attacks, heart diseases (ischemic heat disease, myocardial infarction, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction) were analyzed. Results and conclusions. The prognostic effect of previous myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus type 2, smoking, hemodinamically significant stenosis of carotid arteries, multifocal atherosclerotic lesions in three arterial basins was found.