Atrial fibrillation affects between 2-3% of the general population, with incidence increasing with age. Until now, studies have yielded mixed results regarding the link between atrial fibrillation and dementia. Identifying subgroups at the greatest risk of the condition could inform targeted preventative interventions, noted the researchers behind the current study in a press release.
For the current study, the researchers assessed the independent association between atrial fibrillation and incident dementia in Catalonia, Spain. To do so, they analyzed population-based observational data, including individuals who were at least 45 years old in 2007 and who had not previously been diagnosed with dementia
Altogether, the researchers included 2, 520, 839 individuals in their analysis and followed them for an average of 13 years. At the start of the study, 79, 820 individuals, or 3.25%, had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
Overall, atrial fibrillation was linked with a 4% higher risk of dementia. However, when stratifying patients by age, the researchers found that those aged between 45 and 50 years old with atrial fibrillation were 3.3 times more likely to develop dementia than those without the condition. Meanwhile, no link was found for those over 70 years old.
Ultimately, the researchers found that being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation before 70 years old was linked to a 21% higher risk of dementia, and a 36% higher chance of early-onset dementia.
“Haemodynamic changes, which involve alterations in the flow and pressure of blood in the body caused by AF, and autonomic dysregulation, which refers to an imbalance in how the body controls automatic functions like heart rate, breathing, or blood pressure, could also play a role in the disease of small blood vessels in the brain associated with dementia. Additionally, systemic inflammation associated with atrial fibrillation may amplify these effects, creating a synergistic pathway that further increases dementia risk,” said the authors in a pres release.
The researchers concluded that their findings show a significant and strong association between atrial fibrillation and dementia in younger patients. They noted that they should now investigate whether early detection and aggressive management of atrial fibrillation in younger patients can help reduce demetia risk.
Sources: EurekAlert
