Heart Attack Twice as Likely for TIA Patients

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently found that people who suffer a transient-ischemic attack (TIA) are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack later in life as those who have not experienced a TIA, which can also be referred to as a “mini stroke” or “warning stroke”.

For the study, researchers led by Dr. Robert D. Brown, Jr., a neurology department chair at the Mayo Clinic, looked at data on more than 450 patients who had suffered a TIA between 1985 and 1994. Of the group, which had an average age of 72, sixty-six percent had high blood pressure, according to their medical records. Researchers also found that more than 50 percent of the study group smoked, and 75 percent were taking medication to prevent blood clots.

The study, which was published in the March 24^th online issue of Stroke, found that people who had suffered a mini stroke had a 1 percent risk of experiencing a heart attack each year of the average ten years of follow-up; double that of a person who never had a TIA.

In addition, Brown and his research team found that the average time between a mini stroke and a heart attach was about 5 years. They also found that for people younger than 60 who had suffered a TIA, the risk of heart attack was 15 times greater than those who never had a mini stroke.

According to the American Heart Association, a TIA occurs when an artery is temporarily clogged by a blood clot, preventing part of the brain from receiving the blood it needs. Symptoms of a TIA are similar to that of a stroke, however, they are only temporary and resolve within minutes or a few hours. TIA symptoms should not be ignored and a suspected TIA should be treated immediately by medical professionals.

The American Heart Association provides these symptoms of TIA:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Stroke is the third leading killer in the U.S. following after heart disease and cancer. If a doctor or hospital failed to diagnose or appropriately treat your stroke, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. for your free case consultation. We have helped clients with Queens stroke malpractice, Bronx stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Manhattan stroke malpractice and Long Island stroke malpractice cases.

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