Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of dementia
New evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation, in which the heart has an irregular beat, is linked to an increased risk of dementia. This knowledge, however, also indicates a potential preventive strategy, researchers show.
In a new study paper published yesterday in the journal Neurology, researchers at the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, which are in Sweden, explain that atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is linked with an increased risk of developing dementia.
In A-fib, the heart's atria — or the chambers that receive blood and then send it to the ventricles, which pump it out to the rest of the body — beat irregularly.
Because of this, blood can pool inside the heart and form clots, which may later circulate to the brain, leading to a stroke.
The new study has found that A-fib also increases the risk of another health problem as people age — namely, dementia. However, this warning also comes with an encouraging solution, the authors explain.
"Compromised blood flow caused by atrial fibrillation may affect the brain in a number of ways," as study co-author Chengxuan Qiu explains.
"We know [that] as people age, the chance of developing atrial fibrillation increases, as does the chance of developing dementia," Qiu says, adding:
"Our research showed a clear link between the two and found that taking blood thinners may actually decrease the risk of dementia."
