The health of your heart is very closely connected with the function of your brain. In fact, it has been proven that atrial fibrillation patients are often prone to developing memory issues, including dementia. How does this happen? Let’s read and find out more about the risk between atrial fibrillation and dementia.

Atrial Fibrillation and Faster Cognitive Decline

According to a new study, atrial fibrillation is linked to faster cognitive decline. The study conducted a research over 2,685 participants, average age 73, for an average period of 6 years. None of the participants had dementia at the beginning of the study while only 9% had atrial fibrillation. Over the period, 11% of the participants developed atrial fibrillation while 15% were diagnosed with dementia.

The study concluded that patients with atrial fibrillation are more prone to rapidly deteriorating in their cognitive functions than people with a healthy heart. Atrial fibrillation patients were 40% more susceptible to dementia than their peers with a healthy cardiovascular system. In fact, there were 522 people with atrial fibrillation and 121 of them developed dementia.

The Link Between Heart Health and Brain Function

Patients with atrial fibrillation often take medication to lower the risk of blood clots and alleviate the symptoms. The medications help in the short term. However, when we look in the long term, there is a high risk of brain damage which can trigger a decline in language skills and memory.

The heart and the brain are connected with blood vessels and nerves. As a result, they influence each other. It is not a rule that you will have dementia if diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. However, it’s crucial to know the challenges you’re likely to face when dealing with this heart condition. Hence, another risk factor for atrial fibrillation is stroke as blood clots are the culprit for stroke.

The risk of dementia and atrial fibrillation increases as a person ages, especially at the age of 80. Elderly people with atrial fibrillation are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s and experience an earlier cognitive decline than average.

The Effect of Atrial Fibrillation Treatment on Dementia Risk

Both atrial fibrillation and the medications for it are likely to be responsible for the mental decline. Thus, a proper and timely treatment of atrial fibrillation can lower the risk of dementia. One of the major treatments for reducing the risk of dementia seems to be certain blood thinning medication. These medications, which are usually taken by atrial fibrillation patients, are likely to lower the risk of developing dementia.

Anticoagulants, like Warfarin, will protect you from major strokes and prevent long-term cognitive decline. However, it’s important to note that too much of blood thinners can cause microbleeds in the brain. Hence, while taking these medications, it’s important to be at close monitoring by your physician.

How to Achieve Mental Longevity

There are certain lifestyle changes which you should consider doing if you want to promote your mental longevity. Thus, shedding those extra pounds and boosting your general cardiovascular fitness can lower your cognitive complications. Including some regular but moderate exercise into your daily routine is great both for your atrial fibrillation and brain. Moreover, positive thinking and medication are also great methods for eliminating not only these risks but any health issue.