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A TIA (transient ischemic attack) or mini-stroke causes temporary stroke-like symptoms, typically lasting minutes to hours, that resolve completely within 24 hours. Symptoms may include sudden weakness or numbness on one side, speech difficulty, vision changes, or loss of balance. Despite the temporary nature, TIAs are medical emergencies and strong warning signs. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of TIA patients have a stroke within 90 days, with the highest risk in the first 48 hours. Urgent evaluation and prevention treatment can dramatically reduce this risk.

Yes, research demonstrates that up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable through proper risk factor management. Key modifiable risk factors include high blood pressure (the single largest risk factor), diabetes, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption. Our stroke prevention program systematically identifies and addresses each of your risk factors through medication optimization, lifestyle modification guidance, and regular monitoring to achieve and maintain target values for blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol.

Remember FAST: Face drooping on one side, Arm weakness or inability to raise both arms equally, Speech that is slurred or confused, and Time to call emergency services immediately. Additional warning signs include sudden severe headache unlike any before, sudden confusion or difficulty understanding, sudden vision loss in one or both eyes, sudden dizziness or loss of balance, and sudden numbness. If you observe any of these signs in yourself or someone else, call emergency services immediately. Every minute of delay during a stroke results in additional brain damage.

After a stroke or TIA, follow-up frequency depends on your individual risk profile and recovery. Typically, we recommend appointments every one to three months during the first year, then every three to six months during the second year, and annually once stable. During follow-up, we monitor blood pressure, medication adherence and side effects, cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, lifestyle modifications, and any new symptoms. We also coordinate periodic imaging and cardiac monitoring as clinically indicated.

We coordinate comprehensive post-stroke rehabilitation with specialist services including physical therapy for mobility and strength recovery, neurorehabilitation for functional recovery, speech therapy for communication and swallowing difficulties, and neuropsychological support for cognitive and emotional recovery. Our neurologists oversee the medical management component, optimizing medications for secondary prevention and managing complications while rehabilitation specialists focus on functional recovery. This coordinated approach ensures all aspects of stroke recovery are addressed.

Stroke prevention medications are tailored to your specific risk factors and stroke type. Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin and clopidogrel prevent blood clots in patients with atherosclerotic disease. Anticoagulants like warfarin, dabigatran, or apixaban are essential for patients with atrial fibrillation. Statins lower cholesterol and stabilize arterial plaques. Antihypertensive medications control blood pressure. Diabetes medications optimize blood sugar control. The right combination is determined by your individual risk profile, and we monitor regularly to ensure optimal dosing and management of any side effects.

Heart disease and stroke share many common risk factors and are closely interconnected. Atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder, increases stroke risk five-fold because blood can pool and form clots in the heart that travel to the brain. Heart valve disease, heart failure, and patent foramen ovale (PFO) also increase stroke risk. Conversely, atherosclerosis that causes coronary artery disease also affects brain-supplying arteries. Our integrated approach with cardiology ensures comprehensive evaluation and management of both cardiac and cerebrovascular risk.

Carotid artery disease occurs when the carotid arteries in the neck, which supply blood to the brain, become narrowed by atherosclerotic plaque buildup. This narrowing (stenosis) can reduce blood flow to the brain or serve as a source of clot formation, both leading to stroke. Carotid disease is detected through ultrasound imaging and may be confirmed with CT or MR angiography. Treatment options include medication management for mild to moderate stenosis and surgical intervention (carotid endarterectomy or stenting) for significant narrowing with symptoms.