People with atrial fibrillation may develop age-related cognitive decline (thinking and memory problems) at a younger age than those without afib, a new study says.
We already knew that cognitive decline becomes more common as people get older, and that afib may have contributed to this cognitive decline. But we didn't know for sure until this new study that, on average, people with afib develop cognitive decline faster than those without afib.
This doesn’t mean that everyone with afib will develop cognitive decline, nor that they will do so at a younger age than their peers. But it does give us new ideas that may lead to better treatments to reduce or prevent cognitive decline in those who have afib.
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