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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mini-strokes may cause surprising long-term health issue, experts warn
Prolonged fatigue could indicate poor sleep habits — but it could also be a lingering effect of mini-strokes. That's according to a new study from Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, which was published this week in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). A mini-stroke — medically known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) — is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that causes a "short period of symptoms," according to Mayo Clinic. Stroke, Dementia And Depression Share These 17 Preventable Risk Factors The study found that people who experience a TIA are more likely to report prolonged fatigue lasting up to one year. "Patients with a presumed transient event reported fatigue at levels comparable to a stroke," lead study author Birgitte Hede Ebbesen, PT, PhD, a physiotherapist at Aalborg University Hospital, told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App The researchers followed 354 people averaging 70 years of age who had experienced a mini-stroke. Over a 12-month period, the participants reported their level of fatigue in five areas: overall tiredness, physical tiredness, reduced activity, reduced motivation and mental fatigue, according to a university press release. Heart Disease Could Be Prevented With This One Simple Test On a scale ranging from 4 to 20 — with 20 being the most fatigued — the participants reported an average score of 12.3 in the two weeks after the mini-stroke, 11.9 at three months, 11.4 at six months and 11.1 at the one-year mark. Two weeks after the mini-stroke, 61% reported high levels of fatigue. At three, six and 12 months, 54% said they experienced fatigue. Those who reported prolonged fatigue were twice as likely to have experienced anxiety and/or depression, the study found. Some also reported "We had encountered fatigue among patients with TIA in clinical settings, so we knew it was there — but the frequency still surprised us," Modrau told Fox News Digital. Feeling Extra Tired? This Virus Could Be The Culprit, Study Suggests "Long-term fatigue was common in our group of study participants, and we found that if people experience fatigue within two weeks of leaving the hospital, it is likely they will continue to have fatigue for up to a year." Based on these findings, Modrau suggests that people diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack should be monitored for lingering fatigue in the ensuing weeks and months. "This could help us better understand who might struggle with fatigue long-term and require further care." The more commonly known symptoms of stroke include face drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech, which usually resolve within a day, according to Modrau. Some patients also reported long-term cognitive issues. Bradley Serwer, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, confirmed that fatigue is very common — and sometimes "debilitating" — following a stroke. "Fatigue is multifactorial and can rarely be attributed to a single cause," Serwer, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. The Maryland-based cardiologist shared the following potential reasons for fatigue following a mini-stroke. Brain healing: "After a stroke, the brain tries to heal itself," Serwer said. "This process causes the brain to work harder to 'rewire' itself, which results in a higher demand for energy. This often leaves patients feeling drained or fatigued." Increased inflammation: This can occur due to the immune response following a TIA. Lower levels of neurotransmitters in the brain: Reduced levels of chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine can result in depression, fatigue or lack of motivation, according to Serwer. Sleep disturbances: "These are very common after a stroke and can lead to significant sleep deprivation," the cardiologist said. Medications: Drugs used to treat strokes may have adverse side effects, including fatigue. "Betablockers are excellent blood pressure medications and are often prescribed after a stroke or heart attack, but they may cause notable fatigue," Serwer noted. Other factors: "Simple tasks may require more mental effort than before the injury," the cardiologist said. "Depression or anxiety after a stroke can also be a confounding predictor of fatigue." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted. "It is an observational study and therefore we cannot determine causality," Modrau said. "Results are based on self-reported questionnaires, and we cannot be certain that relatives didn't help fill them out or influence results." The researchers also did not have information on pre-TIA fatigue levels, although previous studies suggested that it was "much more frequent" after mini-strokes. Looking ahead, Modrau said she hopes healthcare providers begin to acknowledge lasting fatigue after TIA and provide care pathways for these patients. For more Health articles, visit "Up until now, patients with lasting challenges after TIA have been left alone in many cases," she told Fox News Digital. "We as a society should start to acknowledge their difficulties instead of viewing them as 'the lucky ones,'" she continued. "My aim with this study has been to give these patients a voice – and to start to listen to their struggles."Original article source: Mini-strokes may cause surprising long-term health issue, experts warn
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Tired all the time? It may be this silent but serious health issue
Your enduring weariness could be a symptom of something more devastating. In a study published this month in Neurology, researchers found a link between lingering fatigue and a transient ischemic attack (TIA), commonly known as a 'mini stroke.' So how worried do you need to be? 3 TIA patients may suffer more long-term effects, including exhaustion. Prostock-studio – TIA is a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, spurring stroke-like symptoms that typically last two to 15 minutes. People who have them are typically at higher risk of having a full-blown stroke in the near future. And, as the new study suggests, TIA patients may actually suffer some more long-term effects, including exhaustion. 'People with a transient ischemic attack can have symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech, and these resolve within a day,' said study author Boris Modrau, MD, PhD, of Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark. 'However, some have reported continued challenges, including reduced quality of life, thinking problems, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Our study found that for some people, fatigue was a common symptom that lasted up to one year after the transient ischemic attack.' For this latest study, researchers followed patients who had experienced a mini-stroke for a year. The patient completed questionnaires to measure overall tiredness, physical tiredness, reduced activity, reduced motivation and mental fatigue. 3 Participants completed a detailed questionnaire to measure fatigue levels within two weeks of their stroke and again at three, six, and twelve months. KMPZZZ – 'Long-term fatigue was common in our group of study participants, and we found that if people experience fatigue within two weeks after leaving the hospital, it is likely they will continue to have fatigue for up to a year,' said Modrau. Previous experiences of anxiety and depression were twice as common in patients who reported lasting fatigue. Participants also underwent brain scanning, wherein researchers found that blood clot presence was equal between participants who experienced long-term fatigue and those who did not. The research team noted that one possible limitation of the study is that responses were self-reported, increasing the likelihood that responses were completed with assistance from, or influenced by, relatives and caretakers. Experts maintain that mini-strokes are often a warning sign that a larger or more permanent stroke may develop in the near future, and experiencing a TIA could significantly increase the risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia. 3 Experiencing a TIA could significantly increase the risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia. Proxima Studio – 'A stroke is when the neurological deficit lasts for more than a few hours and is more or less permanent,' Dr. Raphael Sacho, director of cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, previously told The Post. 'A stroke is usually accompanied by evidence of stroke changes on imaging, such as an MRI scan of the brain, but often with a TIA, there are no or minimal signs of a stroke on brain imaging.' The symptoms of a TIA include: Weakness, numbness or paralysis in the face, arm or leg, often on one side of the body Vision loss, blurred vision, double vision or difficulty seeing in one or both eyes Trouble speaking, difficulty finding words or slurred speech Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Confusion or trouble understanding others Severe headache without a known cause Difficulty walking, swallowing, reading or writing Tingling in half the body Experts agree that the prevention of strokes and mini-strokes is tied to improving overall cardiovascular health, such as blood pressure control, lowering cholesterol, and diabetes management. The American Stroke Association (ASA) encourages adults to follow the Mediterranean diet no matter their stroke risk. The plant-based eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, and not red meat and sugar. The ASA, a division of the American Heart Association, also suggests cutting stroke risk by exercising regularly, getting sufficient sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling cholesterol, managing blood pressure and blood sugar, and avoiding smoking.
