Atrial fibrillation as a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

To assess whether AF is a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction we used prospective data on AF, repeat cognitive scores, and dementia incidence in adults followed over 45 to 85 years.

Methods and results

Data are drawn from the Whitehall II study, N = 10 308 at study recruitment in 1985. A battery of cognitive tests was administered four times (1997-2013) to 7428 participants (414 cases of AF), aged 45-69 years in 1997. Compared with AF-free participants, those with longer exposure to AF (5, 10, or 15 years) experienced faster cognitive decline after adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioural, and chronic diseases (P for trend = 0.01). Incident stroke or coronary heart disease individually did not explain the excess cognitive decline; however, this relationship was im

SUBMITTER: Singh-Manoux A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5837240 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature