Mini strokes are a maxi problem

Treat a transient ischemic attack with the same urgency as chest pain.

Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), sometimes called mini strokes, were once written off as fleeting problems that posed little danger once they had passed. No longer "" these brief strokes are now seen as harbingers of trouble ahead. A study shows that a TIA often heralds a full-blown stroke, and that treating it as an emergency can help stave off the real thing.