Epidemiology

In the US, the estimated incidence of TIA is approximately 1.2 per 1000 person-years.[2][10]​​​​​ TIAs are more common in men than in women, and in black people than in white people.​[11][12][13]​​​​​​​​ In a population-based study, Mexican Americans ages between 45 and 59 years were almost twice as likely to experience a TIA as non-Hispanic white people.[14] However, at older ages, there were no significant differences.​[14] The number of TIAs in the US is commonly estimated to be 200,000 to 500,000 per year.[1] However, using the modern tissue-based definition, estimates suggest that there are approximately 120,000 true TIAs each year.[15] The exact number of TIAs is difficult to establish with certainty due to the potential for a transient neurologic deficit to be caused by the many conditions that mimic true cerebral ischemia, and because a large number of TIAs go unrecognized.[13] Approximately half never come to medical attention.​​[16]

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