#TIA

A growing body of research is overturning the idea that transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are harmless. New findings indicate that the effects of a mini-stroke can linger for months or even years, including persistent fatigue, cognitive changes, and an elevated risk of future strokes and heart problems. For Thai patients and the healthcare system, these insights call for faster action, ongoing support, and stronger follow-up care.

For decades, TIAs were described as brief disruptions of blood flow to the brain that serve as warning signs for a stronger stroke. Once symptoms like slurred speech, weakness, or vision loss resolved, people could resume daily life. But recent studies from 2024 and 2025 challenge this comforting narrative. They show that the aftermath of a TIA may undermine quality of life long after symptoms vanish.

A growing body of new research is turning long-held assumptions about “mini-strokes” upside down, revealing that the effects of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) may linger far longer than previously thought. Once regarded as brief episodes with symptoms that disappear within a day, these transient strokes are now understood to pose significant long-term health risks—including persistent fatigue, cognitive decline, and an elevated risk of subsequent strokes and cardiovascular events. As experts warn against taking a TIA lightly, the implications for Thai patients and the healthcare system are profound, demanding heightened awareness, rapid intervention, and ongoing support.

A recent Danish study published in Neurology reveals that silent mini-strokes, or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), may be a hidden driver of persistent fatigue for months after the event. This challenges the long-held belief that TIA symptoms fade within 24 hours and prompts Thai health professionals to rethink long-term care for stroke survivors.

TIAs are often undetected; current estimates suggest only about one in 30 people realize they have had a TIA. Brief interruptions of blood flow to the brain can cause subtle symptoms such as weakness, headaches, or vision changes, but they rarely trigger urgent medical visits. The new research shows that fatigue can linger for up to a year, especially among those with pre-existing anxiety or depression, underscoring a more complex aftermath than previously understood.

A recent study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that silent “mini-strokes,” technically known as transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), may be a hidden cause behind constant fatigue experienced by many individuals—even those who never recognized the original neurological event. Danish researchers have revealed that lingering exhaustion following such mini-strokes can persist for up to a year, significantly challenging previous assumptions that symptoms of a TIA resolve within 24 hours and leaving global and Thai health professionals rethinking long-term care for stroke survivors.