Don't let the name fool you. Despite their short-term duration, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs; "mini strokes") may not be "transient" after all. According to a new study, TIAs may have long-term consequences—they can shorten life expectancy by up to 20 percent.
The study, published online in the journal Stroke, analyzed the hospital and death records of more than 22,000 adults up to nine years after hospitalization for a TIA and found that the life expectancy of these patients was lower than that of the general population.
In addition, the study found that among patients who had experienced a TIA, mortality was greater in older people. Compared with people diagnosed with TIA under age 50, those ages 65 to 74 had a relative risk of early death that was almost five times higher, those ages 75 to 84 had a relative risk almost eight times higher and those 85 and older had a relative risk that was 11 times higher.
Several factors may explain this finding. However, the take-home point is that individuals already treated for TIA have more to gain from controlling their risk factors than those who have not yet experienced a TIA.
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