Relation of Atrial Fibrillation to Cognitive Decline (from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke [REGARDS] Study)

The association of atrial fibrillation (AF) with cognitive function remains unclear, especially among racially/geographically diverse populations. This analysis included 25,980 black and white adults, aged 48+, from the national REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, free from cognitive impairment and stroke at baseline. Baseline AF was identified by self-reported medical history or electrocardiogram (ECG). Cognitive testing was conducted yearly with the Six Item Screener (SIS) to define impairment and at 2-year intervals to assess decline on: animal naming and letter fluency, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Word List Learning (WLL) and Delayed Recall tasks (WLD).

Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - March 5, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Margie J. Bailey, Elsayed Z. Soliman, Leslie A. McClure, George Howard, Virginia J. Howard, Suzanne E. Judd, Fred Unverzagt, Virginia Wadley, Bonnie C. Sachs, Timothy Hughes Source Type: research