A treatment procedure used for heart rhythm complications may lower your risk of dementia disorders and death, according to a study presented at the 31st Annual Scientific Sessions of the National Heart Rhythm Society.
A team of researchers from the Heart Institute at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, conducted two studies in which patients who suffered from atrial fibrillation (A-fib) were treated with catheter ablation. The researchers then compared the risks of developing Alzheimers disease and other memory loss disorders or having a stroke in these patients to those of A-fib patients who had not received the ablation treatment.
The results showed that those who had the procedure had a much lower risk of all these other health issues than the patients who hadnt been treated for A-fib.
A cardiac condition in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating at a healthy rate, A-fib causes blood to be improperly pumped in and out of the heart. This can cause the development of blood clots, which can clog the artery that leads to the brain and result in a stroke.
Patients who have developed atrial fibrillation have a 15 to 20 percent increased risk of having a stroke, according to the Heart Rhythm Society.