Transient ischemic attacks: their frequency in the Lehigh Valley

The incidence of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in the Lehigh Valley was analyzed using the Lehigh Valley Stroke Register based on data collected between July 1, 1982, and June 30, 1986. The overall average annual incidence rate was 22.9 per 100,000 population, and 23.2 and 22.5 per 100,000 population in men and women, respectively. Men had a statistically significant higher age-specific rate of TIAs than women. Our incidence appears to be lower than that reported in earlier studies but, because of methodologic differences, only continued observations in our population and in similar populations using a standardized methodology will resolve the question of whether TIA frequency is, in fact, declining.