Transient Ischemic attacks (TIAs) are also called “mini strokes”. As we know, a completed stroke is caused by irreversible brain injury secondary to the interruption of blood flow. In contrast, a TIA is a temporary focal neurologic deficit caused by the brief interruption of local cerebral blood flow in less than 24hours. Stoke prevention is crucial for those who have had TIAs: they don’t cause permanent disability, but they can be very serious warning signs of an impending stroke.

A number of studies have shown that TIAs carry a significant short-term risk of stroke, especially in the first few days. A 6-point score, based on age, blood pressure, clinical features and duration (ABCD) was shown to effectively stratify the short-term risk of stroke after a TIA. One can calculate the ABCD score like this:

	Risk Factor	Category	Score
A	Age	Age ≥ 60 Age < 60	1 0
B	Blood pressure at assessment	SBP > 140 or DBP ≥ 90 other	1 0
C	Clinical Features	Unilateral weakness Speech Disturbance (no weakness) other	2 1 0
D	Duration	≥ 60 minutes 10-59 minutes < 10 minutes	2 1 0
		Total	6

Don’t wait for the symptoms to go away, because nobody can tell whether it is a stroke or a TIA. The goal of TIAs management is to prevent a future stroke. The treatment used depends on the exact cause of the TIAs. In addition to lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, doctors may recommend drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease. These changes may reduce the risk of further Stroke.

Sources:
Stroke Journal
Stroke Org Uk
Journal Watch