One-third of US adults have had TIA symptoms, but few called 911

One in three American adults have had symptoms of a transient ischemic attack, but only 3% take appropriate action, according to a survey from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The survey was part of the ASA’s Together to End Stroke warning signs campaign and included 2,040 respondents.

According to the survey, 35% of respondents reported having at least one symptom of transient ischemic attack. The most common symptom reported was sudden severe headache (20%), followed by trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination (14%).

It is recommended that a person call for emergency help, yet a very small portion of respondents took that action, according to the survey. The most common reason respondents called 911 was trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (5%).

“Officially, about 5 million Americans, or 2.3%, have had a self-reported, physician-diagnosed [transient ischemic attack], but as this survey suggests, we suspect the true prevalence is higher because many people who experience symptoms consistent with a [transient ischemic attack] fail to report it,” Mitch Elkind, MD, chair of ASA, said in a press release.

Patients with TIA have an elevated risk for stroke within the next 90 days, according to the release.

The ASA recommends learning common stroke symptoms in order to know when to call 911.

Disclosure: The survey was supported by Medtronic.