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So-called "mini-strokes" may last only a few minutes, but the attacks can cut years off patients' lives, a new study shows.

About 200,000 to 500,000 Americans a year suffer from these mini-strokes, or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs); symptoms resemble those of a stroke, but effects typically last no more than one to two hours. Although the episodes may cause symptoms such as muscle weakness, numbness or loss of speech, TIAs don't cause permanent brain damage, says the National Institutes of Health.