Frankie Muniz of “Malcolm in the Middle” fame suffered a “mini-stroke” last week and spent some time at a hospital, he shared early Tuesday on Twitter.

“I was in the hospital last Friday. I suffered a ‘Mini Stroke’, which was not fun at all,” wrote the 26-year-old former actor (He retired at 19). “Have to start taking care of my body! Getting old!”


Friends took him to an ER in Arizona, TMZ said, after he had trouble speaking and understanding words. Muniz was reportedly still awaiting test results Tuesday and had been told to take it easy.

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Now a drummer, he recently joined the band Kingsfoil, which was due to head out Friday for a tour of venues in the Northeast.

A mini-stroke, or transient ischemic attack, occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops temporarily, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is seen as a warning sign that a full stroke may happen in the future.


High blood pressure is the top -- but far from the only -- risk factor for strokes and mini-strokes, the NIH says. Some of the unhealthy lifestyle traits that can raise risk are heavy drinking, smoking or using certain illegal drugs, as well as eating too much fat or salt. No cause had yet been determined by doctors in Muniz’s case, TMZ said.

Stroke is also more likely for those who are older than 55. Muniz turns 27 on Wednesday.


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