Incidence of transient ischemic attacks in the Belluno Province, Italy. First-year results of a community-based study

This study formed part of a larger prospective population-based survey on cerebrovascular diseases and aimed to provide reliable and comparable results on TIA incidence and on related risk factors, which could supply investigation objectives and support information for primary and secondary prevention.

We undertook a prospective population-based study in the province of Belluno, an area located in the North-East of Italy where 211,389 people live, utilizing all the possible case-collection sources available in the territory.

In the first year of the study (June 1, 1992 to May 31, 1993) 271 patients with a diagnosis of transient ischemic attack were recruited. Among these, we recorded 171 cases of new TIAs. The crude annual incidence rate for new TIAs was 0.80 per 1000, 0.73 per 1000 for men and 0.87 per 1000 for women. After adjustment to the European population, the overall incidence rate decreased to 0.58 per 1000 inhabitants per year. The mean age of new TIA patients was 73.91 years and females were significantly older than males (p < 0.001). A CT scan disclosed an infarct in 21 new TIA patients.

Our first-year results on new TIAs incidence did not differ from the findings reported in previous population-based studies performed throughout the world and support data as to risk factors for TIA.