Brief stroke-like attacks linked to higher heart disease risk
Among people with a brief stroke-like attack, 44 coronary heart disease events (81.5%) occurred more than 12 months later.
Neuroepidemiology
An observational cohort study followed 286 people with a first transient ischaemic attack, a brief episode of stroke-like symptoms, and 858 matched people without one. Those with an attack had a mean age of 73.1 years. Researchers used the Framingham Heart Study and matched participants by age and sex. None had coronary heart disease, which affects the blood vessels supplying the heart, at the comparison’s starting point.
The researchers compared risks over 10 years. An attack was associated with higher risks of coronary heart disease and stroke. The timing differed: 35 strokes (42%) occurred within three months, while 44 coronary heart disease events (81.5%) occurred more than 12 months later.
Why it matters
For older people who have had a transient ischaemic attack, the findings support sustained cardiovascular prevention beyond care focused on short-term stroke risk.
Caveats
This observational study cannot show that the attacks caused coronary heart disease. The findings came from one cohort, with 286 participants who had an attack.
The paper
Transient Ischemic Attack as a Marker of Coronary Heart Disease: A Population-Based Study
Show 5 more authors
Dibya Himali, Saptaparni Ghosh, Vasan Ramachandran, Alexa Beiser, Sudha Seshadri,Neuroepidemiology · 7 Oct 2026
