AF stands for atrial fibrillation. AF is one of the most common heart rhythm disturbances and can affect up to 2% of the population.
The big risk of AF is thought to be an increased risk of strokes and therefore when doctors see patients above the age of 65, or patients who carry co-morbidities.
Doctors recommend lifelong anticoagulation and as long as the patient is anti-coagulated, we feel that the patient is safe. But they never really think beyond the risk of stroke.
Anticoagulants are medicines that help prevent blood clots. They’re given to people at a high risk of getting clots, to reduce their chances of developing serious conditions such as strokes and heart attacks.
A blood clot is a seal created by the blood to stop bleeding from wounds.
If the patient is younger than 65 and does not carry comorbidities doctors don’t anticoagulate them because they believe that the risk of stroke is very low.
However, over the past few years there have been several studies which have studied AF patients and discovered patients with AF have a significantly higher prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia.
This video talks about the link between AF and dementia.
Disclaimer: Any information on diseases and treatments available at this video is intended for general guidance only and must never be considered a substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional with questions you may have regarding your medical condition.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about supplement that could keep dementia at bay, and inexpensive heart drug that could help treat severe COVID-19.
Source: York Cardiology (Shared via CC-BY)
