Relative Survival After Transient Ischaemic Attack

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a lack of modern-day data quantifying the effect of transient ischemic attack (TIA) on survival, and recent data do not take into account expected survival. METHODS: Data for 22 157 adults hospitalized with a TIA from July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2007, in New South Wales, Australia, were linked with registered deaths to June 30, 2009. We estimated survival relative to the age- and sex-matched general population up to 9-years after hospitalization for TIA comparing relative risk of excess death between selected subgroups. RESULTS: At 1 year, 91.5% of hospitalized patients with TIA survived compared with 95.0% expected survival in the general population. After 5 years, observed survival was 13.2% lower than expected in relative terms. By 9 years, observed survival was 20% lower than expected. Females had higher relative survival than males (relative risk, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69-0.90; P<0.001). Increasing age was associated with an increasing risk of excess death compared with the age-matched population. Prior hospitalization for stroke (relative risk, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.98-3.49) but not TIA (relative risk, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.86-2.35) significantly increased the risk of excess death. Of all risk factors assessed, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and prior hospitalization for stroke most strongly impacted survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to quantify the long-term effect of hospitalized TIA on relative survival according to age, sex, and medical history. TIA reduces survival by 4% in the first year and by 20% within 9 years. TIA has a minimal effect on mortality in patients <50 years but heralds significant reduction in life expectancy in those >65 years.