Stroke risk after transient ischemic attack in a population-based setting.
OBJECTIVE
Stroke risk after transient ischemic attack (TIA) has not been examined in an ethnically diverse population-based community setting. The purpose of this study was to identify stroke risk among TIA patients in a population-based cerebrovascular disease surveillance project.


METHODS
The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project prospectively ascertains stroke and TIA cases in a geographically isolated Southeast Texas County. The community is approximately half Mexican American and half nonHispanic white. Cases are validated by board-certified neurologists using source documentation. Cumulative risk for stroke after TIA was determined using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to test for associations between stroke risk after TIA and demographics, symptoms, risk factors, and history of stroke/TIA.


RESULTS
BASIC identified 612 TIA cases between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002; 60.9% were female and 48.0% were Mexican American. Median age was 73.8 years. Stroke risk within 2 days, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and 12 months was 1.64%, 1.97%, 3.15%, 4.03%, and 7.27%, respectively. Stroke risk was not influenced by ethnicity, symptoms, or risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Using a population-based design, we found that early stroke risk after TIA was less than previously reported in this bi-ethnic population of Mexican Americans and nonHispanic whites. Approximately half of the 90-day stroke risk after TIA occurred within 2 days.
Lisabeth
Lynda D
LD
Stroke Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich 48109-0316, USA.
Ireland
Jennifer K
JK
Risser
Jan M H
JM
Brown
Devin L
DL
Smith
Melinda A
MA
Garcia
Nelda M
NM
Morgenstern
Lewis B
LB
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data