Researchers discover link between irregular heartbeat, cognitive function

Researchers at McMaster University have found a link between irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, and both mental and physical decline. While it had previously been known that having atrial fibrillation raises the risk of dementia in patients who have suffered from a stroke, the study discovered that this link is also evident in those who have not had a stroke. The researchers looked at data from two trials which involved 31, 546 patients from 40 countries, age 55 or older with organ damage from heart disease or diabetes. They assessed cognitive function at the beginning of the trials, after two years, and near the end. "The composite outcome of a decline in examination score by three or more points, dementia, admission to long-term care facility and loss of independence in performing activities of daily living occurred in 26 per cent of patients without atrial fibrillation and in 34 per cent of patients with atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Koon Teo, a professor of medicine at McMaster.