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Does heart rhythm affect the development of dementia?
A study has now shown that if the heart rate was fast and irregular, the risk of dementia would increase considerably in people with the disease.
A recent study by Yonsei University in Seoul found that our heartbeat could indicate an increased risk of dementia. The results of the study were published in the English language journal "European Heart Journal".
Risk of Alzheimer's disease increased by 31% due to irregular heartbeat
According to the researchers, atrial fibrillation can cause unconsciously, in the people involved, what are called mini-strokes that alter the blood vessels in their brains. Damaged or obstructed vessels can prevent oxygen-rich blood from reaching areas of the body and causing death of brain cells. With time, this could affect the memory, general thinking or language skills of a person. According to the authors, an irregular heart rate increased by 31% the risk of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia.
Atrial fibrillation doubles the risk of vascular dementia
In addition, the results of the study also show that atrial fibrillation more than doubles the risk of vascular dementia. This form of dementia occurs when the disease is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain. The increased risk persists after people with stroke have been removed from the study's calculations. According to the researchers, the risk for those who developed atrial fibrillation and who took oral anticoagulants decreased by almost 40%.
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally high heart rate. A normal heart rate should be steady and between 60 and 100 beats per minute when you rest. In atrial fibrillation, the heart rate is irregular and sometimes very fast. In some cases, it can be well above 100 beats per minute. This can lead to problems such as dizziness, shortness of breath and fatigue.
Data from more than 260,000 participants were evaluated
The study involved 262,611 people over 60, who initially had neither atrial fibrillation nor dementia. During the seven-year study period, 10,435 participants developed atrial fibrillation and 2,522 of them (24%) were diagnosed with dementia. This is to be compared with the 36,322 participants (14%), certainly with dementia but not having developed atrial fibrillation. Of the 3,092 people with atrial fibrillation who were taking anticoagulants or anticoagulants, the risk of developing dementia was 39% lower. (As)
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