PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Saglietto, Andrea
AU  - Matta, Mario
AU  - Gaita, Fiorenzo
AU  - Jacobs, Victoria
AU  - Bunch, Thomas Jared
AU  - Anselmino, Matteo
TI  - Stroke-independent contribution of atrial fibrillation to dementia: a meta-analysis
AID  - 10.1136/openhrt-2018-000984
DP  - 2019 May 01
TA  - Open Heart
PG  - e000984
VI  - 6
IP  - 1
4099  - http://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000984.short
4100  - http://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000984.full
SO  - Open Heart2019 May 01; 6
AB  - Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of dementia. It is presently unknown to what extent AF contributes to dementia onset independently from prevalent and incident cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs)/transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs).Methods MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase databases were searched for prospective observational results, which produced risk estimates for dementia in AF patients, adjusted for prevalent and incident CVAs/TIAs.Results Five prospective observational studies were included, comprising 61 008 patients, having a median follow-up of 12.5 years. Meta-analysis of observational results indicates an increased risk of dementia in AF, adjusted for cerebrovascular clinical events (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.41, I2=0%). Funnel plot analysis did not reveal a statistically significant asymmetry. Meta-regression analysis did not indicate statistically significant associations between baseline study-level covariates and risk estimates.Conclusion AF confers a nearly 30% increased risk of dementia, independently from CVAs/TIAs. Screening for AF and subsequent optimised management to lower risk of cranial injury could help in preventing dementia, a condition characterised by high social and healthcare costs.