Anticoagulants And Dementia

Here's some good news for anyone who's worried about developing dementia later on in life. A breakthrough study has found that blood-thinning medication (also known as anticoagulants) used to decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF) may also be able to significantly lower the risk of getting dementia.

This fantastic discovery, could provide hope to many people who are at risk of developing dementia all around the world. The researchers reached this conclusion by collecting and studying the health data of 444,000 sufferers of AF, who were diagnosed between 2006 and 2014, paying particular attention to the drugs that each patient was prescribed.

According to the study's co-author a Dr., "there are AF patients who have a fatalistic view on stroke. Either it happens or it does not. Few patients are fatalistic about dementia, which gradually makes you lose your mind.” He also said that "no brain can withstand a constant bombardment of microscopic clots in the long run. Patients probably want to hang on to as many of their little grey cells for as long as they can.”

Despite establishing concrete links between AF, dementia, and anticoagulants, the team still hasn't discovered what causes their relationship. However, they "strongly suggested" that commonly prescribed anticoagulants, such as apixaban, warfarin, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, and dabigatran, protected patients by not allowing dementia-causing blood clots to ever develop.

In spite of the uncertainty, the Dr. still believes that AF patients would be wise to keep taking anticoagulants regularly. He says that "doctors should not tell their patients to stop using oral anticoagulants without a really good reason. To patients, I would say don’t stop unless your doctor says so." Just because they haven't found the underlying reason for their effectiveness, it doesn't mean that they don't work.

According to a Dr., "the findings highlight a need to investigate this link further, but the nature of the study prevents us from firmly concluding that anticoagulants reduce the risk of dementia." She also said that "it will be important to see the results of other ongoing studies in this area, as well as teasing apart the exact relationship between anticoagulants and the risk of different types of dementia.”

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Anti-stroke drugs also protect against dementia

People with heart trouble who take blood-thinning medication to avoid strokes may also significantly reduce their risk of dementia, a study published.

Researchers found that of 444,106 patients who had atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart condition that can provoke strokes, those taking drugs to prevent blood clots had a 29 percent lower risk of developing dementia.

The risk further decreased as patients continued to take the medication, they reported.

The study -- the largest ever on the link between anticoagulants and dementia in atrial fibrillation patients -- looked at data from  2006-2014.

The strong link with dementia suggests blood thinners are responsible for lowering risk, but clinical trials would be needed to establish cause-and-effect, the scientists said.

There is, however, a catch.

"Such studies cannot be done because of ethical reasons," said lead author.

"It is not possible to give placebo to atrial fibrillation patients and then wait for dementia or stroke to occur."

Scientists had speculated that anticoagulants might stave off dementia because they prevent tiny clots that can cause unnoticed microscopic strokes, a major contributor to cognitive decline.

Researchers identified all patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation between 2006-2014. They then checked on what drugs had been prescribed, and followed the patients' progress.

When they first joined the study, 54 percent of patients were not taking oral anticoagulants such as warfarin or apixaban.

The researchers found that the strongest predictors for dementia were lack of oral anticoagulant treatment, ageing, Parkinson's disease and alcohol abuse.

They also found that the sooner oral anticoagulant treatment was started after a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, the greater the protective effect against dementia.

Researcher said patients should be started on blood-thinners immediately after diagnosis, and continue taking the medication.

"Doctors should not tell their patients to stop using oral anticoagulants without a really good reason," he said in a statement.

An alarmingly high percentage of patients stop taking their medication after a few years, he added.

"In the first year, approximately 15 percent stop taking the drugs, then approximately 10 percent each year."

The study found no difference in dementia prevention between the older blood-thinning drug warfarin and the newer oral anticoagulants.

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