Irregular Heartbeat May Signal an Increased Risk of Dementia

A study published in Neurology suggests people with atrial fibrillation may undergo a faster decline in thinking and memory skills and be at a higher risk of dementia, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers analyzed data on 2,685 participants with an average age of 73 who were tracked for an average of six years. Participants were examined and interviewed at the beginning of the study and then once after six years for those younger than 78 and once every three years for those 78 and older. All subjects had no dementia at the start of the study, but 243 people exhibited atrial fibrillation. Another 279 people developed atrial fibrillation, and 399 developed dementia. Individuals who had atrial fibrillation had a faster rate of decline in thinking and memory skills than those lacking the condition, and were 40 percent more likely to develop dementia. Of the 2,163 people who did not have irregular heartbeat, 278 developed dementia, while 121 of the 522 people with irregular heartbeat developed dementia. Moreover, people who took blood thinners for atrial fibrillation had a 60 percent decreased risk of dementia.