A new study just released has found an association between a commonly-prescribed medication for people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) and an increased risk of dementia, according to CBS News.
In particular, patients taking the drug warfarin, used to prevent blood clots, were found to have an increased risk if the levels of the medication in their blood were often too high or too low. The study found this applied to those taking the medication for other reasons than AF as well.
“If people’s levels of warfarin were erratic, their dementia risk was higher, whether they had AF or not,” said Dr. Jared Bunch, lead researcher on the study and a cardiologist at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, UT. Bunch continued to say the study does not prove that AF or the taking of warfarin caused dementia, but the researchers believe both could contribute to developing the condition, likely because they both affect the blood flow to the brain.
About 3 million adults in the United States have atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia, in which the upper chambers of the heart do not contract efficiently. The condition itself is not considered life-threatening, but it can cause blood clots, that may break free and block an artery supplying blood to the brain, resulting in a stroke.
A common treatment for AF is blood-thinning medication, including aspirin or anti-coagulants such as warfarin. But getting the dosage correct for an individual can sometimes be difficult. The physicians have to walk a fine line between having a dosage strong enough to prevent clotting, but low enough to avoid internal bleeding as well. In some people, this means frequent adjustments of the medication.
The study’s findings were based on the medical records of over 10,000 patients who had been taking warfarin for AF and other causes. Over a period of six to eight years, nearly six percent of the AF patients developed dementia, as compared to only two percent of those taking the drug for other reasons.
Dr. Bunch advised people who were doing well on warfarin to not be concerned, but if you were on of those whose dosage changes frequently, you may want to ask your physician about other alternatives.