Treating TIAs as Medical Emergencies Prevents Strokes

A transient ishemic attack, or TIA, is a is a brief period during which there is a lack of blood flow to an area of the brain. During this period a person feels symptoms of impaired brain function, such as difficulty speaking, or moving an arm, or leg. The symptoms of a TIA last from a few minutes to a few hours, but by definition they go away in less than 24 hours. Most people who suffer a TIA choose to wait before seeking medical attention, mostly because the symptoms go away completely, usually in less than 10 minutes.

Doctors have known for a long time that people who suffer a TIA have a high risk of stroke, and this has been demonstrated by several studies which show that between 10% and 20% of patients who suffer a TIA have a stroke within 90 days, and very often, within 48 hours of the TIA. These disheartening odds have motivated many neurologists to treat TIAs as the type of medical emergency that requires immediate hospitalization and treatment. However, although doctors suspected that this approach would prevent stroke in many patients, there has been no evidence to show that early stroke prevention is actually effective at preventing strokes. This has recently changed with a new study which provides strong evidence that treating TIAs as medical emergencies does prevent strokes.

The study, performed in England, had two groups of patients. The first group included patients who had a TIA but waited to be seen by a doctor. These patients received stroke prevention treatment an average of 20 days after their TIA. The second group included patients who were examined and treated within 24 hours of their TIA. In this study, the 90-day risk for stroke in the former group was 10.3%, while the risk in the second group was only 2.1%.

Thus, this study suggests that if TIAs are treated with appropriate medication within 24 hours of their onset, the risk of subsequent stroke during the following 90 days is reduced by about 80%!

These results reinforce the new consensus that the medical institution as a whole, and most importantly, people in general, need to start thinking of TIAs as true medical emergencies.

Recommended reading:
What is a TIA?
Are you at risk of stroke?