Patients of AF , Carotid artery disease have higher risk of dementia

According to new research from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, patients with atrial fibrillation who are diagnosed with carotid artery disease (CAD) are at higher risks for development of dementia. Results of the study will be presented during the Heart Rhythm Society’s 39^th annual Scientific Sessions in Boston.

Victoria Jacobs, a clinical researcher with the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and colleagues conducted the study to analyze the link between atrial fibrillation and dementia.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia in the world which affects more than 2.7 million American adults. The abnormal heart rhythm causes blood to pool and clot in the heart, and when those blood clots break free, they can cause a stroke.

More than 200,000 new patients are diagnosed each year with CAD, which is caused by the accumulation of plaque in the artery that leads from the brain to the heart. However, the disease is usually asymptomatic until the patient has a stroke. It mostly affects the people over 60 years of age.

Prior research has shown the abnormal heart rhythms of atrial fibrillation produce inconsistent blood flow to the brain, which contributes to the onset of dementia or a decrease in cognitive function. Risk factors for atrial fibrillation and CAD include age, weight, hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes.

“Our team of researchers has been studying links between atrial fibrillation and dementia. This new data stresses the continued need for physicians to monitor and screen patients for both carotid artery disease and atrial fibrillation, especially patients who have risk factors of either disease," said Dr. Jacobs

For the study, the researchers examined 6,786 patients with carotid artery disease with no history of dementia and compared those in the group diagnosed with atrial fibrillation to those with no diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

The average age of the patients was 71.6 years old and 55.6 percent of them were male. Twenty-one percent of them had atrial fibrillation.

“Atrial fibrillation and carotid artery disease are treatable, and addressing those diseases early on can help reduce the risk of developing dementia,” said Dr. Jacobs. “Physicians should be discussing the treatment options with patients who are at risk to help educate them about what they can do to live the healthiest life possible. Patients should be engaged in their own healthcare, knowledgeable about their risks, and active in maintaining healthy lifestyles. Neither disease should be accepted passively, because both are treatable, and treatment is especially important given the benefit of helping to prevent or postpone dementia.”

Based on the study, the authors concluded that blockages in the carotid artery, which gradually build up as people age, restrict blood flow to the brain. A combination of the two diseases (CAD and atrial fibrillation), and the resulting impact on blood flow significantly increases a patient’s chances of developing dementia.