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Transient ischemic attack
(TIA)
Risk factors
You can't change the following risk factors for TIA and stroke. But
knowing you're at risk can motivate you to change your lifestyle to
reduce other risks.
-
Family history.
Your risk may be greater if one of your family members has had a TIA
or a stroke.
-
Age.
Generally, your risk increases as you get older.
-
Sex.
If you're a man, your risk of stroke is slightly higher at a younger
age. In older age groups, in which the overall risk of stroke is at
its highest, the risk for men and women is about the same.
-
Race.
Blacks are at greater risk than are other ethnic groups. The reason
is partly because of their higher prevalence of high blood pressure
and diabetes.
You can control the following risk factors:
-
High blood
pressure.
Having high blood pressure increases your risk of TIA or stroke.
Poor diet, lack of exercise and being overweight contribute to this
risk factor.
-
Cardiovascular
disease.
Conditions including a previous heart attack, heart valve
abnormalities, acute heart valve disease and atrial fibrillation —
an irregular and, often, rapid heartbeat — increase your risk. Your
heart doesn't pump blood as efficiently with these conditions, or it
beats irregularly.
-
Cigarette
smoking.
Smoking contributes to development of cholesterol-containing fatty
deposits in your arteries (atherosclerosis). Nicotine increases your
heart rate and blood pressure. The carbon monoxide in cigarette
smoke replaces oxygen in your blood, decreasing the amount of oxygen
delivered to your tissues, including your brain. Smoking also
increases the clotting of blood.
-
Diabetes.
Diabetes increases the severity of atherosclerosis — narrowing of
the arteries due to accumulation of fatty deposits — and the speed
with which it develops.
-
Undesirable
levels of blood cholesterol.
High blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and
low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increase
your risk of narrowed or blocked arteries.
-
Elevated
homocysteine level.
Homocysteine — an amino acid and a building block of protein —
naturally occurs in your blood. Elevated levels of homocysteine can
cause arteries to thicken and scar, making it more likely that
cholesterol will clog arteries. Taking a combination of B complex
vitamins — B-6, B-12 and folic acid — has been shown to reduce blood
levels of homocysteine. However, it isn't known whether this will
reduce the incidence of stroke, but it may reduce the risk of
atherosclerosis forming in some people with narrowing in their
coronary (heart) arteries.
-
Sedentary
lifestyle.
People with limited physical activity are at increased risk of
stroke. Even a brisk walk, or some other exercise, if done on a
regular basis, may lessen your risk of stroke.
-
Obesity.
Your risk of stroke increases if you're overweight. Obesity can also
increase your blood pressure and your risk of diabetes.
-
Carotid artery
disease.
Your doctor may hear a noise (bruit) over the arteries in the front
part of your neck (carotid arteries) and then may recommend some
studies of these arteries. If your doctor detects moderate to severe
narrowing, your risk of stroke may be elevated, even though you
haven't had symptoms. You may need additional treatment to prevent a
stroke from occurring.
Transient
ischemic attack > 1
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