More than 795,000 Americans have a stroke each year, according to health experts, which means many of us know someone who has been directly affected by one. Ischemic strokes—where blood flow to the brain is limited due to a blockage—are the most common, accounting for 87% of stroke cases.

While we typically associate stroke symptoms with signs such as one-sided paralysis and slurred speech, another condition can present in a very similar way…and can be just as serious.

At least 240,000 Americans experience a transient ischemic attack (TIA) each year, according to a 2023 article in the medical journal Stroke. Transient ischemic attacks are sometimes referred to as “mini strokes,” even though they are technically not strokes. The Cleveland Clinic says having a TIA “often means you could have a stroke in the very near future.”

Unlike a stroke, a transient ischemic attack will ultimately stop without medical intervention (though it is still a very serious health event and should receive immediate treatment). Additionally, a “mini stroke” won’t result in lasting damage to brain cells.

To better understand this medical occurrence—and the possible long-term effects, specifically fatigue—a recently published study examined how to “develop evidence-based support for patients.” The findings were published in Neurology, a peer-reviewed medical journal from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

A team of nine researchers, all associated with Aalborg University in Denmark, included 354 patients in the study who were an average age of 70 years old and who had experienced a TIA.

Despite the fact that TIA patients “should not have residual symptoms beyond 24 hours,” the team used two different scales, via questionnaire results, to measure fatigue. They documented patients’ fatigue levels at 14 days (considered the baseline) and at three, six, and 12 months after their medical discharge.

The study’s results suggest that 61% of patients reported feeling fatigued two weeks after medical discharge, as highlighted by an American Academy of Neurology press release.

Researchers also noted that 54% of patients still reported fatigue a whole year after experiencing a TIA, and the results indicate that patients who had previously experienced anxiety or depression were more likely to experience fatigue.

The patients also underwent brain scans, which determined blood clots were “equal between people with long term fatigue and those without it.” In other words, clots were not to blame for the fatigue.

Still, more research is needed. The press release notes, “The study does not prove that mini-strokes cause lasting fatigue; it only shows an association.”

“For future studies, people diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack should be followed in the weeks and months that follow to be assessed for lingering fatigue,” said one of the study’s author Boris Modrau, MD, PhD. “This could help us better understand who might struggle with fatigue long-term and require further care.”

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Emily Surpless
Emily has over a decade of experience producing digital content, working on sites focused on health, lifestyle, home, and entertainment. As the editor for The Healthy by Reader’s Digest, she focuses on pitching and optimizing content to satisfy reader curiosity and reach new users. Prior to her role at The Healthy, Emily was the Sr. SEO Manager ...
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Emily Surpless