Irregular Heartbeat Medication Could Increase Dementia Risk

Could too much medication for irregular heartbeat raise dementia risk? Recent findings presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014, showed that using the anti-clotting drug warfarin in conjunction with antiplatelet therapy aspirin and clopidogrel was oftentimes a bad combo for people with atrial fibrillation, which could increase the risk of dementia in these patients overtime.

"The dual drug regimen is often used to prevent strokesin people with coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease, but we have to consider that long-term exposure to anti-clotting drugs such as warfarin, if not well controlled, can significantly increase bleeding risk," saidlead author Dr. T. Jared Bunch, via Medical News Today.

Dr. Brunch noted that an increased risk of bleeding could result in micro bleeds throughout the brain, that accumulated gradually over time--increasing the risk of dementia. As the second most common form of dementia is known to be caused by brain damage (vascular dementia), researchers believe that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) could be considered at high risk for stroke when prescribed many antiplatelet drugs alongside other similar medications.

"Warfarin in some people is a very challenging medication to use with levels that often fluctuate between over- and under-anti-clotting," he added, via Health Day, as patients oftentimes need more than one clotting drug. "Doctors who prescribe anti-clotting drugs have to be aware of unique long-term risks with these medications."

For the study, researchers studied over 1,000 patients with no history of stroke or dementia. However, at a 10 year follow-up, researchers found that patients taking a combination of drugs had abnormally slow clotting times 25 percent or more of the time were more than twice as likely to develop dementia as those whose clotting remained in normal ranges more than 90 percent of the time.

"This is an important and underappreciated risk of atrial fibrillation," concluded Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "I think that this is very important given the high prevalence of atrial fibrillation."

The study findings were to be presented Sunday at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Chicago.