A transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a mini-stroke, is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that typically causes symptoms like facial drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech.
Unlike a full stroke, these symptoms usually disappear within 24 hours. However, new research published in Neurology suggests that the effects of a mini-stroke may linger much longer than previously thought—especially in the form of fatigue.
The study, led by Dr. Boris Modrau of Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, explored how long fatigue can persist after a TIA. Fatigue is a feeling of extreme tiredness and lack of energy that goes beyond normal tiredness and can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.
While the study does not prove that mini-strokes cause long-term fatigue, it does show a clear connection between the two.
The research followed 354 people with an average age of 70 who had experienced a TIA. Each participant was monitored for one year after their mini-stroke. To measure fatigue levels, participants completed detailed questionnaires about their energy levels within two weeks of their TIA, and then again at three, six, and twelve months.
The questionnaires asked about five types of fatigue: overall tiredness, physical tiredness, reduced activity, lack of motivation, and mental fatigue. Each category was scored from four to 20, with higher scores indicating more severe fatigue.
The results showed that, on average, participants had a fatigue score of 12.3 shortly after their mini-stroke. While their scores gradually improved, the average remained at 11.9 at three months, 11.4 at six months, and 11.1 after a year. A score of 12 or higher was considered to indicate significant fatigue.
The data revealed that fatigue was very common among the participants. About 61% of them reported significant fatigue two weeks after their TIA. Even at three, six, and twelve months, around 54% of participants continued to experience fatigue. This means that more than half of those who suffer a mini-stroke may deal with long-lasting tiredness for up to a year.
To better understand why some people experienced long-term fatigue, researchers also performed brain scans on the participants. They checked for signs of blood clots but found that the presence of clots was the same in people with and without long-term fatigue. This suggests that blood clots alone do not explain the lingering tiredness.
One factor that did seem to matter was a history of anxiety or depression. People who reported fatigue months after their TIA were twice as likely to have had anxiety or depression before their mini-stroke. This finding indicates that emotional health might play a key role in recovery after a TIA.
Dr. Modrau explained that these findings highlight the need to follow up with mini-stroke patients for months after their initial treatment. “Long-term fatigue was common in our group of study participants, and we found 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,” he said.
He suggested that people who are diagnosed with a TIA should be monitored for lingering fatigue as part of their recovery process. Understanding who is likely to struggle with long-term tiredness could help doctors provide better care and support during recovery.
The study also pointed out some limitations. Because participants filled out the questionnaires themselves, there is a chance that some responses may have been influenced by help from family members or caregivers. This might have affected how fatigue levels were reported.
Even with these limitations, the study brings new awareness to the lasting impact of mini-strokes. While the physical symptoms of a TIA may disappear within a day, the effects on energy and well-being can linger for much longer.
This research suggests that recovery from a mini-stroke may require more than just physical rehabilitation—it may also call for long-term support to manage fatigue and emotional health.
The study opens the door for future research to explore why fatigue lasts so long after a TIA and what treatments might help people regain their energy. For now, the findings serve as a reminder that even a “mini” stroke can have lasting effects that need attention and care.
If you care about stroke, please read studies that diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk, and MIND diet could slow down cognitive decline after stroke.
For more health information, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce the risk of dementia, and tea and coffee may help lower your risk of stroke, dementia.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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