One more reason to get help fast!

If you've visited this blog before, you've heard this line before: If you are having any stroke sign or symptom, even one, call 911 and get to an emergency department that is a stroke center quickly.

Even a mini-stroke - a transient ischemic attack, or TIA - can be a harbinger for a full-blow stroke. Now, we find that according to one study, 'mini strokes' are linked to doubled heart attack risk:

Although TIA symptoms may last only a few minutes, they are a warning of coronary heart disease that may be unrecognized, said Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, a professor of medicine and director of the Duke Stroke Center at Duke University Medical Center, who was not involved in the study.

The study confirms that "people who have had a TIA or stroke should also be evaluated for coronary heart disease," said Goldstein.