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Atrial fibrillation is independently associated with senile, vascular, and Alzheimer's dementia
Bunch TJ, Weiss JP, Crandall BG, May HT, Bair TL, Osborn JS, Anderson JL, Muhlestein JB et al.. Heart rhythm, 2009-12-11
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background The aging population has resulted in more patients living with cardiovascular disease, such as atrial fibrillation (AF). Recent focus has been placed on understanding the long-term consequences of chronic cardiovascular disease, such as a potential increased risk of dementia. Objective This study sought to determine whether there is an association between AF and dementia and whether their coexistence is an independent marker of risk. Methods A total of 37,025 consecutive patients from the large ongoing prospective Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study database were evaluated and followed up for a mean of 5 years for the development of AF and dementia. Dementia was sub-typed into vascular (VD), senile (SD), Alzheimer's (AD), and nonspecified (ND). Results Of the 37,025 patients with a mean age of 60.6 +/- 17.9 years, 10,161 (27%) developed AF and 1,535 (4.1%) developed dementia (179 VD, 321 SD, 347 AD, 688 ND) during the 5-year follow-up. Patients with dementia were older and had higher rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, renal failure, heart failure, and prior strokes. In age-based analysis, AF independently was significantly associated with all dementia types. The highest risk was in the younger group ( Conclusion AF was independently associated with all forms of dementia. Although dementia is strongly associated with aging, the highest risk of AD was in the younger group, in support of the observed association. The presence of AF also identified dementia patients at high risk of death.
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APA 7th
Bunch, T. J., Weiss, J. P., Crandall, B. G., May, H. T., Bair, T. L., Osborn, J. S., et al. (2010). Atrial fibrillation is independently associated with senile, vascular, and Alzheimer's dementia. Heart rhythm. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.12.004
Vancouver
Bunch TJ, Weiss JP, Crandall BG, May HT, Bair TL, Osborn JS, et al. Atrial fibrillation is independently associated with senile, vascular, and Alzheimer's dementia. Heart rhythm. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.12.004. PMID: 20122875.
BibTeX
@article{bunch2010-20122875,
author = {Bunch, T. J. and Weiss, J. P. and Crandall, B. G. and May, H. T. and Bair, T. L. and Osborn, J. S. and Anderson, J. L. and Muhlestein, J. B. and others},
title = {{Atrial fibrillation is independently associated with senile, vascular, and Alzheimer's dementia}},
journal = {Heart rhythm},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.12.004},
pmid = {20122875},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.12.004}
}
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Key findings
- Recent focus has been placed on understanding the long-term consequences of chronic cardiovascular disease, such as a potential increased risk of dementia.
- Results Of the 37,025 patients with a mean age of 60.6 +/- 17.9 years, 10,161 (27%) developed AF and 1,535 (4.1%) developed dementia (179 VD, 321 SD, 347 AD, 688 ND) during the 5-year follow-up.
- In age-based analysis, AF independently was significantly associated with all dementia types.
- The highest risk was in the younger group ( Conclusion AF was independently associated with all forms of dementia.
- Although dementia is strongly associated with aging, the highest risk of AD was in the younger group, in support of the observed association.
Why it matters
Among 37,025 patients in a heart-care database followed for about five years, those with atrial fibrillation were more likely to develop every dementia type the study tracked, including Alzheimer's. The authors report the Alzheimer's link was strongest in younger patients, and that AF also marked people with dementia who were at higher risk of death. This is an observational association: it does not show that AF causes dementia, or that treating AF would prevent it.
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Study details
- Participants37,025
- Effect size4.1%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Heart rhythm) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Heart Rhythm: journal h-index 195 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 37,025 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 405 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.5 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 13 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 77 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author John Day: h-index 62 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Intermountain Healthcare: institution h-index 363 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20122875) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
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