Transient ischemic attack associated with increased risk of dementia
Having a transient ischemic attack (TIA) is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in Neurology. The study does not prove that a transient ischemic attack causes dementia; it only shows an association.
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are linked to a heightened risk of developing dementia, as demonstrated in a recent study published in the medical journal Neurology. TIAs are transient events where blood flow to a region of the brain is temporarily disrupted, leading to stroke-like symptoms that resolve within a day without causing visible damage on brain scans. While TIAs signal a potential precursor to a full stroke, the connection between TIAs and dementia has been less understood.
The study, led by Raed A. Joundi, MD, DPhil, from McMaster University and the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, Canada, analyzed health data spanning two decades from Ontario. Researchers identified 113,081 individuals with a first TIA who had no prior history of dementia and matched them for age, sex, and health factors like diabetes and blood pressure to those without stroke or dementia, as well as to those who had a first stroke.
The participants were followed for an average of seven years. During this period, 19% of TIA patients developed dementia, compared to 15% of those without stroke or TIA and 20% of those who had a stroke.
The risk of dementia was notably higher in the year following a TIA, with 2.71 new cases per 100 person-years among TIA patients versus 2.03 cases per 100 person-years in those without TIA. This elevated risk persisted over a 20-year period, with a cumulative 34% increase in dementia risk. Interestingly, while TIA patients faced a 33% lower risk of dementia in the first year compared to stroke patients, the risk became comparable after five years.
People who experienced a TIA were three times more likely to develop dementia over the entire study duration than to have a stroke.
Jounti emphasized the substantial and lasting increase in dementia risk associated with TIAs, stating that prevention strategies should extend beyond stroke prevention to address dementia as a significant long-term complication. The study's limitation lies in the absence of detailed brain imaging to detect any undiagnosed pre-existing conditions at the onset or during the study period.
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