TIA Risk Factors

Researchers have identified certain risk factors that increase a person's chances of having a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. Risk factors for a TIA include some things that cannot be controlled, such as being African American or having a family history of TIA; however, many risk factors for TIA, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cigarette smoking, can be treated or controlled. Other TIA risk factors include being male, having diabetes, and abusing alcohol or drugs.

 

An Overview of TIA Risk Factors

A transient ischemic attack (also known as a TIA or mini-stroke) is a condition that results from a temporary lack of blood flow to a specific part of the brain. Similar to stroke, there are certain risk factors that increase one's chances of having a TIA.
 
Risk factors are conditions or behaviors that increase your chances of getting a certain disease. Some TIA risk factors can be treated or controlled and some cannot. Also, the more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of having a TIA. That's because risk factors tend to "gang up" and worsen each other's effects. Finally, the higher your level of each risk factor, the greater your risk of having a TIA.
 
We will now look some risk factors for TIA that you cannot change followed by risk factors that you can change. Most of the risk factors for TIA are the same as stroke risk factors.
 

TIA Risk Factors That You Cannot Change

TIA risk factors that you cannot change include:
 
  • Age (risk of TIA tends to increase with age)
  • Being male
  • Being African American
  • Having a family history of TIA
  • Having had a TIA or heart attack.
     
Age
The risk of TIA tends to increase with age.
(TIA Risk Factors Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD