Writer: Dave Warner
Taken by themselves, both atrial fibrillation and Alzheimer’s disease can be devastating.
The abnormal heart rhythm caused by the former can lead to heart attack, or stroke. The later can lead to severe dementia.
But what you may not know is that there is now evidence that there may be a link between atrial fibrillation and all forms of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the most common.
Studies show that people who suffer from the cardiac arrhythmia that is known as atrial fibrillation are more likely than other people to develop dementia. Moreover, those under 70 who suffer from both disorders have higher death rates.
The reasons are not so clear, however. One possibility is that risk factors like high blood pressure increase the risk for both diseases. Another is the issue of inflammation that can come with atrial inflammation, because dementia can be more common in people with systemic inflammation.
The studies showing the link come in the context of growing fears of an explosion of Alzheimer’s victims in the coming decades.
In the year 2000, some 4.5 million Americans suffered from Alzheimer’s, according to estimates at the time. But predictions for the future are even more grim. They have it that the number of cases will grow steadily over the years, reaching some 13 million people by 2050.
Even then, many cases go undiagnosed, so are not counted. The reason for the predicted increases: the population is getting older on average, and Alzheimer’s tends to strike the aging.
There is no known for Alzheimers, so doctors advocate doing what they, and you, can in the meantime: take care of your heart by eating right and getting plenty of exercise.
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