Afib and Dementia/Alzheimer’s connection

Afib and Dementia/Alzheimer’s connection

Awareness Alert

A recent post mentioned the potential for a possible connection of Pradaxa and memory/cognitive decline.

Coincidentally, I was reading an old newsletter from the Cleveland Clinic Health Advisor, 2008, with a feature article on Heart Rhythm treatment that noted: dementia is common after AF diagnosis and another study suggesting that Alzheimer’s may progress more rapidly in people with AF or hypertension.

Here are the two studies listed and a few more that came up with the search. Probably more but I didn’t have time to continue.

Risk of dementia in stroke-free patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation: data from a community-based cohort
European Heart Journal, Volume 28, Issue 16, 1 August 2007, Pages 1962–1967, [doi.org]
[academic.oup.com]

High Blood Pressure Or Irregular Heartbeat Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Progression
Date: November 8, 2007
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
[www.sciencedaily.com]


Heart disease as a risk factor for dementia
Clin Epidemiol. 2013; 5: 135–145.
Published online 2013 Apr 26. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S30621
PMCID: PMC3641811 PMID: 23658499
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]


Just an FYI because there are many targeted nutrients and lifestyle changes that help support brain health ….important even if one doesn’t have the AF history.

Jackie

Is there a study of all the people who have had a stroke whether they also had AF or heart disease? I am sure there isn't, I have known a few people that have had a stroke and did not have AF. Seems like we can always find a study to support our views and there sure is a lot of them out there today. So many people are on BP meds, most are elderly, you know when we are older our arteries are not as flexible as when we were younger so of course BP will be a little higher, they understood that years ago and allowed for the BP to be a little higher in older adults.

Liz

I have read Dr. Stephen Sinatra's book on atrial fibrillation and Dr. Dale Bredesen's book on reversing Alzheimer's disease.
After reviewing both programs, it appears to me that mitochondrial dysfunction is a big factor in both diseases.
Dr. Bredesen's highly acclaimed program, developed at UCLA, seems to make a pretty good case for both of these afflictions being mitochondrial in nature also.
However, Dr. Bredesen did not use ribose in his study. I think this essential nutrient probably escaped his notice. It was difficult for me to work through the chemistry too. It would be interesting to see what ribose would do for Alzheimer's disease.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2018 01:19AM by Jim Benton.

Oh great.

Dementia now, huh? Afib really is the gift that keeps on giving!

Cheers everyone,

Anne

Hi AnnaC,

Yes indeed, early onset (Prior to 70yrs old) cognitive dysfunction, dementia and Alzheimers are a significant risk for poorly addressed Afibbers. There have been a wave of good studies on the topic over the last 8 to 10 years with some excellent work done by Dr. Jared Bunch and the group at Intermountain Medical Center in Utah.

You can also find at least two articles I summarized in the Archives link to past issues of The AFIB Report newsletter you can download for free from the left had side links on the homepage of this website.

Issues 131 and 135 of The AFIB Report have articles on this very important topic ... and the reality of which is a key motive for not settling for just modest to mediocre control of AFIB to continue as the on-going risks of early onset dementia is a very real potential consequence of the following the old school idea of "just learning to live with AFIB" over the long haul.

The correlated very real risk of accumulating excess Silent Cerebral Ischemia (SCI) ... and that also featured in several issues from 2014 to 2016 of The AFIB Report ... are worth getting up to speed on,

And the Intermountain Group has published some very powerful very up-to-date research on this link between long term AFIB (including PAF, persistent and LSPAF and the growing recognition of what a serious issue early onset dementia in such poorly managed AFIB patients really is, just over the last two years.

Do everything you can to mitigate any Lifestyle or Cardiovascular risk factors for AFIB (and heart disease in general), and if anyone is at the top of their BMI range for their height then make a dedicated effort to lose at least 10% of your overall body weight .. whatever it is at that time ... to really help reduce your overall AFIB burden in many such cases,

The weight loss cannot be from crash or fad diets. It has to be a steady well thought out protocol that gradually loses the weight in a sustainable way as a new life style the person buys into all the way. You definitely dont want to do any 'Yo-Yo' dieting with big swings in weight. That can even lead to more AFIB burden compared to not losing the weight to begin with.

And if any of these life style risk reduction methods dont show dramatic reduction in total AFIB burden within 6 months to a year of truly dedicated effort, then dont hesitate any longer to partner with the most experiences ablation maestro you can possible arrange for yourself and being perfectly willing to travel for 5 to 6 days to put your hearts care into such an elite experts hands to begin an expert ablation process.

This combination of the best of life style risk reduction and best of Electrophysiology ... and both applied at the right time ... is the key we have found over almost 20 years of experience here as the oldest AFIB patient education and advocacy resource on the web to gaining durable freedom for the most afibbers in the least overall work required to gain such freedom. And this is the number one way to reduce any added cognitive function deficit due to on-going AFIB back to a typical normal baseline risk found in non-Afibbers of the same age and overall health status!

Be well,

Shannon

Liz - In response to your comment about increased Bp with aging....

Regarding blood pressure range parameters, the May 2018 issue of Townsend Letter has a report,
Hypertension Becomes a Much Bigger Threat by L. Terry Chappell, MD which is both interesting and helpful as he offers suggestions for lifestyle modifications and nutritional supplements that can help normalize blood pressure and it's always good to try to get arteries more flexible to eliminate tendency toward hypertension... ie, reduced calcification, reduced inflammation, etc.

Intro:
On November 13, 2017, everything having to do with adult blood pressure changed. Instantaneously, according to the major cardiology associations in the US, thirty million more Americans no longer could claim to have normal blood pressure. The number of adults now classified as having Stage 1 hypertension rose from 32 to 46%, and another 12% of the population are now determined to have elevated blood pressure. The new normal for BP is 130/80 mmHg for almost everyone, instead of the previous goal of 140/90. All of the newly labeled patients are now expected to be treated primarily with aggressive lifestyle changes.

The New Guidelines
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), along with nine other health professional organizations presented new guidelines at the AHA’s fall Scientific Sessions in Anaheim.1 The previous guidelines began with the category of prehypertension. No longer is there prehypertension, but now BP is considered elevated if systolic levels are between 120 and 129 mm Hg and diastolic levels are less than 80. Previously, Stage 1 hypertension began at 140/90. The new guideline reclassifies Stage 1 hypertension as whenever the systolic BP is 130-139 or the diastolic is between 80-89. Stage 2 hypertension now begins when the systolic BP is at least 140 or the diastolic BP is at least 90 mmHg. Thus Stage 1 HBP is lowered from 140/90 to 130/80, and this applies to either systolic or diastolic readings.

Approximately 35% of current hypertensive patients are not adequately controlled. With the new guidelines, it is estimated that 53% of patients whose treated BP is currently considered well-controlled will no longer meet that standard. They require additional treatment.

Lifestyle changes are the primary treatments for those with elevated BP and Stage 1 hypertension. Those in both categories will try to prevent disease progression by maintaining the BP between 120/70 and 130/80. The systolic BP guidelines for the elderly had changed from 140 mmHg to 150 mmHg two years ago. But now the upper limit of a normal systolic BP has plunged twenty points to 130/80 for those over 60 years of age, as with the rest of the adult population.

The current guidelines are a major attempt to switch the emphasis of treatment to prevention. There are 106 recommendations and 481 pages in the new guidelines. The plan is for every person in these redefined categories to get a comprehensive package of interventions.

Continue: [www.townsendletter.com]

Townsend Letter Subscriptions
[www.townsendletter.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2018 01:52PM by Jackie.

Jim Benton - You are definitely correct with the comment about fundamental mitochondrial function. I'm trying to finalize a report on that very topic... what we need to do to optimize Mito function and why ...as it relates to many functions but especially Afib... so stay tuned. I've got a time crunch going but hope to post soon under a new heading... so stay tuned.
Thanks for bring up that very relevant point.

Jackie

[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

"Based on our clinical experience and judgment, however, we agree that a therapeutic trial of coenzyme Q10, along with other antioxidants, should be attempted. Although individual specialists differ as to the exact drug cocktail, a common approach involves combinations of antioxidants that may have a synergistic effect"

Yes, definitely CoQ10 is very important... that will be covered in my report...and why.

Jackie

Jackie:

Dr. Brownstein does not agree with the new BP numbers. My Systolic numbers are between 130 and 145, my Diastolic numbers are in the 60s and 70s never have gone higher. The doctors today give out BP meds like candy, my husband and brother had perfect BP numbers but both died in their late 70s. Older people are on so many meds today, they are not any more healthier than older people of years gone by.

As for Alzheimers and AF, I knew a man that said he had AF in his teens and throughout his life, he was in his 80s when I knew him, he was very able and sharp. I will continue as I have, I work physically hard, eat pretty good and try to stay away from all those meds that the docs are pushing.

Liz

Quote
Elizabeth
I will continue as I have, I work physically hard, eat pretty good and try to stay away from all those meds that the docs are pushing.

Liz

I attended a conference on dementia, where they quoted correlations between the number of meds (including suppliments) taken and dementia. They pointed out that the hypothalamus continually tries to regulate hormones to med/suppliment intake, and that nobody really understands how they all interact with one another.....particularly the doctors who prescribe them, who have no time to attend research seminars.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2018 03:19PM by jpeters.

My mother had permanent afib for at least 30 years. She used aspirin as her anticoagulant for almost 30 years. She was switched to Coumadin. And was also diagnosed with CHF some time time in her 70s she was also diagnosed with TIAs. By 80 she was showing definite signs of dementia. She lived until age 86. Just thought I’d throw this out there in case the studies are getting you down.