Prognosis

By definition, a patient with a TIA has no residual symptoms from the primary event. The most significant risk to the patient is a second ischaemic event causing permanent disability. Studies show that the rate of post-TIA stroke might have decreased slightly since 1999, likely related to advances in cardiovascular risk prevention.[75][76]​​​​ Studies from the early 2000s reported that for patients admitted for TIA, 8% will have a stroke during their hospitalisation and >10% of TIA patients seen in the accident and emergency department will have a stroke within 3 months.[77][78]​​​ However, a 2019 meta-analysis reported a 1.2% risk of stroke at 2 days and 7.4% risk of stroke at 90 days after TIA.[79]​ TIA is also frequently indicative of underlying cardiac or atherosclerotic disease. As a result, despite complete resolution of symptoms from the TIA, disability and institutionalisation are not uncommon. In the population-based Oxford Vascular Study, disability levels increased from 14% (modified Rankin Scale score >2) before a TIA to 23% at 5 years after the TIA. Occurrence of subsequent stroke was a major predictor of disability. The 5-year risk of institutionalisation after TIA was 11%.[80]

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