In a recent report published in the European Heart Journal, scientists have reported that the use of oral anticoagulants (OAC) in patients recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with reduced risk of dementia. The authors suggest that early initiation of OAC can help prevent dementia in patients with AF. The association between AF and dementia have been well studied before though the exact mechanism of this association is not known. The aim of the study was to compare the incidence of dementia in patients, who were recently diagnosed with AF, with or without OAC.
This retrospective registry study comprised 444 106 patients who were diagnosed with AF between 2006 and 2014 in Sweden but had no previous history of dementia. It was seen that patients who were on OAC were at a 29% lower risk of dementia compared to patients who were not on OAC. Though further studies…
