Short-term risk and predictors of stroke after transient ischemic attack

Background: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a marker of stroke, especially in the early phase following this event. The aims of this study are to determine the short-term risk of stroke and to evaluate the independent predictors of stroke in patients with TIA who are hospitalized within 48 hours after symptom onset. Methods: During a 36-month period (beginning in November 2007), 3554 patients (mean age: 70.5 +/- 13 years; 49.9% female; mean NIHSS score: 1.4 +/- 2.5) from 15 hospitals suffering from TIA were prospectively evaluated. Results: Of the 3554 patients, 43 (1.2%) suffered from stroke during hospitalization (6.5 +/- 4.3 days). We identified the following independent predictors for stroke after TIA: male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-5; P=0.008), age >= 65 years (OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.4-15; P=0.01), hyperlipidemia (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2-4.8; P=0.015), and dysarthria (OR, 2; 95% CI, 1.1-5.0; P=0.038). Conclusion: Patient characteristics (male sex, age, and hyperlipidemia) and TIA symptom (dysarthria) may be useful in defining stroke after TIA in patients who were hospitalized with TIA. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.