Relationship between AFIB and dementia is strong but a recent study looking at pooled data showed correlation between AFIB and Alzheimer’s disease. Retrospective studies but good pooled data: Six studies, 56,370 patients , hazard ratio of 1.3 (meaning if you have AFIB you are 1.3 times more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease). Treating AFIB is…
Tag: dementia
AFIB & dementia
There is a strong correlation between AFIB and dementia. Prevalence of AFIB and dementia are both increasing with aging population. There have been several meta-analyses looking dementia in patients with AFIB. Study by Kwok in Neurology – 46.637 patients – twice the risk of dementia in patients with AFIB. Study by Santangeli in Heart Rhythm…
AFIB & dementia
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…
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…
dementia & diet
The rates of dementia are highest in the western countries. Indian, Japanese & African populations have lower rates of dementia than the US and Western Europe. However once these populations adopt a western diet, the rate of dementia seem to go up in these populations. The rates of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Japan rose from…