Mini strokes are a warning sign

NEW YORK: Prompt treatment of a mini-stroke could reduce the likelihood of having a full-blown stroke by roughly 80%, a new report shows.

People who have a mini-stroke – officially called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) – typically recover from symptoms, such as trouble speaking or paralysis, within minutes. But a trio of neurologists from Loyola University Medical Centre in Maywood, Illinois, warn that these seemingly fleeting events are often followed by a more severe stroke.

“The diagnosis of a TIA represents the recognition of a medical emergency and an opportunity to reduce the risk of stroke by evaluating the patient and applying currently available therapeutic strategies,” the authors wrote in their report.

Most strokes occur when blood clots block blood flow to the brain.

Blood clots also cause TIAs, according to the neurologists, Dr Camilo Gomez, Dr Michael Schneck and Dr Jose Biller.

In the US more than 200 000 people have a mini-stroke each year. Prompt evaluation and treatment of a TIA could prevent a more devastating and disabling stroke, the neurologists said.

Educating people who’ve had a TIA about the risk for stroke is also important.

“Patients must be counselled about quitting smoking, proper diet, regular exercise, maintenance of appropriate body mass index and limiting alcohol consumption,” the team wrote.