A TIA is a mini stroke, a transient ischemic attack. I would almost move away from that thought;  I call them sudden onset, brief vascular events which describes exactly what they are. The crucial thing is identifying someone’s vascular risk factors so that we can treat them.  Secondly we would try to identify where the clot has come from because what has happened has happened. All the TIA is telling us is this is a clue about vascular risk, so it is identifying a vascular risk of stroke.  The amazing thing that we know from the EXPRESS study in Oxford, which is an excellent study, is that by identifying a TIA and treating people in the right way, you can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 80%. You can do something about it.