- For people with untreated atrial fibrillation (AFib), the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, and perhaps dementia, appears to be significantly higher, according to a new research letter.
- The study found that people whose AFib is being successfully treated are at no higher risk of cognitive issues.
- AFib can result in tiny, imperceptible blood clots, degrading the brain’s function over time.
- For people with comorbidities along with untreated AFib, the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia is even greater.
A large study found that there is an association between untreated atrial fibrillation and eventual mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that may lead to dementia.
Researchers found that people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) were at a 45% higher risk of MCI than those without AFib, or with AFib that was being treated.
The study analyzed electronic health records from January 1, 1998 to May 31, 2016 for 4,309,245 individuals residing in the U.K. Each of the 233,833 people with AFib was matched with one of 233,747 people of the same sex and age, but without AFib, to serve as a control. The mean age of individuals was 74.2.
The researchers adjusted for a wide range of potential MCI risk factors, including sex, age, socioeconomic status, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, atherosclerotic heart disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, stroke, cancer, hearing loss, thyroid disease, depression, chronic kidney and liver disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The researchers found that people being treated with two drugs, digoxin or amiodarone, along with oral anticoagulants — blood thinners — were not at a higher risk of MCI than controls.
The study is published as a research letter in JACC: Advances.
Atrial fibrillation is a form of
AFib currently…
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