Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Atrial fibrillation and cognitive disorders in older people.

OBJECTIVES: To find a correlation between chronic nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (CNRAF) and cognitive impairment in a group of older, nondemented patients.

SETTING: Acute Care Unit for the Elderly, Poliambulanza Hospital, Brescia (Italy).

METHODS: Two hundred fifty-five hospital in-patients older than 70 years (42 with CNRAF and 213 controls with normal sinus rhythm) were assessed by complete clinical history, physical examination, ECG, serum albumin levels, APACHE II score, mental status (Mini-Mental State Exam [MMSE] and Geriatric Depression Score [GDS]), functional status (Barthel Index and instrumental activities of daily living [IADL]), number of prescribed drugs, and comorbidity (Charlson Index).

RESULTS: The group of patients with CNRAF had MMSE scores significantly lower than that of the reference group with normal sinus rhythm. Chronic nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation retained an independent relation to cognitive impairment also after adjusting for those variables associated with mental decline in univariate models (GDS, IADL, and APACHE II scores).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the relationship between nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation and impaired cognitive function. Independent of etiopathogenetic mechanisms (thromboembolic or hemodynamic hypotheses), prevention of cognitive impairment in older persons should take into account the treatment of atrial fibrillation and its consequences.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app