Transient global amnesia and transient ischemic attack: a community-based case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
Few case-control studies of first-ever transient global amnesia (TGA), transient ischemic attack (TIA) and normal controls have been performed to date. We aimed to assess the prevalence of cerebrovascular risk factors in a well defined population of TGA patients.


METHODS
We undertook a retrospective and prospective community-based case-control study of 170 first-ever TGA, 170 first-ever TIA and 170 normal controls.


RESULTS
Age-matched analysis revealed that TGA cases had a significantly lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus than TIA controls. The prevalence of cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus was significantly higher in normal controls than in TGA cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Our community-based case-control study showed that atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus, two important risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, were significantly more common in the TIA group than in the TGA one. These results make the thromboembolic pathogenesis of TGA unlikely.
Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Ferrara, Italy.
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Lauria
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Gentile
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Fassetta
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Casetta
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Caneve
D000647:Amnesia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003153:Community Health Services; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology