title: Short-term risk and predictors of stroke after transient ischemic attack.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a marker of stroke, especially in the early phase following this event. The aims of this study are to determine the short-term risk of stroke and to evaluate the independent predictors of stroke in patients with TIA who are hospitalized within 48 hours after symptom onset.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 36-month period (beginning in November 2007), 3554 patients (mean age: 70.5 ± 13 years; 49.9% female; mean NIHSS score: 1.4 ± 2.5) from 15 hospitals suffering from TIA were prospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 3554 patients, 43 (1.2%) suffered from stroke during hospitalization (6.5 ± 4.3 days). We identified the following independent predictors for stroke after TIA: male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-5; P=0.008), age ≥65 years (OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.4-15; P=0.01), hyperlipidemia (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2-4.8; P=0.015), and dysarthria (OR, 2; 95% CI, 1.1-5.0; P=0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient characteristics (male sex, age, and hyperlipidemia) and TIA symptom (dysarthria) may be useful in defining stroke after TIA in patients who were hospitalized with TIA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Germany. Mohamed.al-khaled@neuro.uni-luebeck.de
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Khaled
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matthis
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eggers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007297:Inpatients; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors