- The use of direct oral anticoagulants, or ‘DOACs,’ is associated with a significantly lower incidence of dementia in a new study, compared to the use of traditional blood thinner warfarin.
- The study is primarily concerned with people living in Asia, and the lower incidence of dementia did not apply to other populations.
- Blood thinners prescribed for cardiovascular conditions such as atrial fibrillation may prevent dementia that results from years of mini-blood clots in the brain.
The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), a form of direct blood thinners, instead of the traditional blood thinner warfarin, was associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia in Asian people receiving treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to a new study, which appears in JACC: Asia.
The risk of dementia in those treated with DOACs was 12% lower than in those treated with warfarin.
Blood thinners, or anticoagulants, thin the blood to help prevent blood clots and break down any existing clots.
While blood clotting is vital to healing external injuries, when clots form in the bloodstream, they may break loose and cause life-threatening blockages in the brain, heart, or lungs.
Physicians prescribe anticoagulants to prevent strokes, pulmonary embolisms, and heart attacks. They are also indicated for AFib in order to prevent such cardiovascular events.
The current research was a meta-analysis of 10 previous studies, one of which was conducted in the United States. The studies totalled 342,624 participants between them, and nine out of the 10 studies indicated that DOACs were associated with lower rates of dementia.
When the researchers factored in different geographic locations, the greater benefit of DOACs applied only to Asian populations.
The study also found that…
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