People With Atrial Fibrillation Could Reduce Risk of Dementia by Taking Stroke Prevention Drugs

International consensus recommendations published in EP Europace say people with atrial fibrillation could lower their risk of dementia by taking stroke prevention medications, reports News-Medical . It was determined that arrhythmias and certain procedures can heighten the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. According to the recommendation document, this elevated risk may be attributable to atrial fibrillation's association with a more than two-fold risk of silent strokes, the accrual of which may contribute to cognitive impairment. The document's authors think oral anticoagulation may reduce the risk of dementia. "People with atrial fibrillation may be able to reduce their risk of cognitive impairment and dementia by taking their oral anticoagulation medication and having a healthy lifestyle," says Dr. Nikolaos Dagres with the Heart Center Leipzig in Germany. Meanwhile, treating atrial fibrillation with catheter ablation also can cause silent strokes and cognitive impairment, and physicians should adhere to recommendations for performing ablation and for the management of people before and after the procedure to lower this risk. The document further notes that doctors may suspect cognitive impairment if a person's appearance or behavior changes, and relatives should be queried for collateral information.