Study on influence of transient ischemic attack on subsequent cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether transient ischemic attack (TIA) had an ischemic preconditioning neuroprotective effect on subsequent cerebral infarction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 232 patients with cerebral infarction were selected and divided into Group A (<55 years old), Group B (55-75 years old) and Group C (>75 years old), according to age. Each group was further divided into sub-groups A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, according to whether there was any TIA within 48 hours after cerebral infarction or not, to compare the neurological deficit scores and the size of cerebral infarction in different groups. RESULTS: Neurological deficit scores and the size of cerebral infarction in Group A1 and Group B1 were significantly lower than those in Group A2 and Group B2 (p<0.05); Differences between Group C1 and Group C2 were similar (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TIA before cerebral infarction may have a neuroprotective effect on subsequent cerebral infarction, which was closely related to the age of patients.