BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to refine clinical risk factor stratification and make an optimal intervention plan to prevent ischemic stroke.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical data, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) findings, were collected in a cohort of hospitalized transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients from January 2010 to December 2011. Recurrent cerebrovascular events after TIA, including recurrent TIA, minor stroke, and major stroke, were identified by face-to-face follow-up. A multivariate, ordinal, logistic regression model was used to determine significant predictors of recurrent events.

RESULTS: Of 106 TIA patients, 24 (22.6%) had recurrent TIA and 20 (18.9%) had a stroke within 7 days. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, a history of ischemic stroke or TIA, and ABCD2 score were significantly associated with the recurrent events after TIA (P<0.001, P=0.02, P<0.001, P=0.02). Hypertension (RR=9.21; 95% CI, 3.07–27.61, P<0.001) and duration of symptom (RR=1.10; 95% CI, 1.02–1.17, P=0.01) as an item of ABCD2 score were highly predictive of the severity of recurrent events, whereas ABCD2 score as a whole (P=0.18) proved to be less strongly predictive.

CONCLUSIONS: A history of hypertension and long duration of symptom independently and significantly predict severe recurrent events after TIA within 7 days, but a high ABCD2 score was less strongly predictive of severe recurrent events.

Keywords: ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - metabolism, Cohort Studies, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Hypertension - pathology, Ischemic Attack, Transient - therapy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Multivariate Analysis, Predictive Value of Tests, Recurrence, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors