Guidelines for the management of transient ischemic attacks. From the Ad Hoc Committee on Guidelines for the Management of Transient Ischemic Attacks of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association.

Ischemic stroke is among the leading causes of death and disability in the United States and many other industrialized nations. Approximately 500 000 people in the United States have a new or recurrent stroke each year, and approximately 150 000 will die as a result. There are more than 3 000 000 survivors of stroke in the United States. The annual economic costs of stroke in the United States due to health care expenses and lost productivity are estimated to be more than $18 billion. Every year 50 000 Americans suffer transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), and about one third of these people will develop a stroke. A TIA identifies a patient at substantial risk of stroke, providing a warning that allows the physician to intervene before stroke occurs.