AFIB may cause cognitive decline via multiple mechanisms: Stroke Multiinfarct dementia due to microinfarcts Microbleeds as a result of anticoagulants Cerebral hypoperfusion – decreased blood flow to the brain Decline in brain volume Beta blockers ??may contribute Catheter ablation for AFIB contributes to micro infarcts (ACE – asymptomatic cerebral emboli) AFIB may be a marker…
Category: arrhythmias
AFIB shrinks your brain
Steffansdottir published a study on brain volume in the journal Stroke in 2013. In it she states: AF is associated with smaller brain volume and the association is stronger with increasing burden of the arrhythmia. These findings suggest that AF has a cumulative negative effect on the brain independent of cerebral infarcts. The difference in…
accupuncture & AFIB
Of all the non-allopathic (CAM – complementary and alternative) therapies out there, the only one that has been systematically studied is accupuncture. Puncturing of the Neiguan, Shenmen and Xinshu spots has been advocated to treat atrial fibrillation. The best study I can find in a peer reviewed journal is from JCE 2011. 80 patients post…
the wanderer (vagus) & AFIB
The Latin word vagus means “wandering”. The vagus is the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system in the body. It is a parasympathetic nerve, i.e. it counters the fight or flight response. It innervates the heart, lung and stomach among other things. Just like the famous Nordic wanderer, Odin, the vagus nerve has been attributed with a lot…
athletes & heart arrhythmias
Moderation in everything, including exercise. Food for thought:
magnesium & AFIB
Low serum magnesium levels have been correlated with a risk of AFIB in both the ARIC and Framingham studies. There are also data that US population as a whole is deficient in magnesium. Here is an excellent review article on magnesium and its role in cardiovascular disease. There are data that magnesium supplementation may reduce…
placebo and sham
Shankar Vedantam did a thought provoking “Hidden Brain” podcast on the placebo effect. Franz Mesmer is the godfather of the placebo effect. He created a lot of “atmosphere” around his sugar pills and since then, the public perception is that the placebo effect is a “New Age” phenomenon and it involves deception. But there is…
work too much = AFIB
How does too much work lead to AFIB? Not enough sleep Not enough exercise Eating out too much Alcohol to relax after long day at work Stress However a recent study in the European Heart Journal showed that working long hours was an independent risk factor for AFIB. The authors state “Although the 2016 European…
nuts for AFIB
A large (61,000 subject) observational study from Sweden published in British Medical Journal in 2018. (With the usual caveats about correlation not causation, non-randomization etc.). Nut consumption ≥3 times/week was associated with an 18% reduced risk of atrial fibrillation. Nuts are a great source of the following nutrients: unsaturated fatty acids protein fiber magnesium, potassium, zinc…
AFIB patient resources
American College of Cardiology American Heart Association Heart Rhythm Society