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Koh YH, Lew LZW, Franke KB, Elliott AD, Lau DH, Thiyagarajah A, Linz D, Arstall M, Tully PJ, Baune BT, Munawar DA, Mahajan R. Predictive role of atrial fibrillation in cognitive decline: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 2.8 million individuals. Europace 2022; 24:1229-1239. [PMID: 35061884 PMCID: PMC9435641 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims To systematic review and meta-analyse the association and mechanistic links between atrial fibrillation (AF) and cognitive impairment. Methods and results PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched up to 27 March 2021 and yielded 4534 citations. After exclusions, 61 were analysed; 15 and 6 studies reported on the association of AF and cognitive impairment in the general population and post-stroke cohorts, respectively. Thirty-six studies reported on the neuro-pathological changes in patients with AF; of those, 13 reported on silent cerebral infarction (SCI) and 11 reported on cerebral microbleeds (CMB). Atrial fibrillation was associated with 39% increased risk of cognitive impairment in the general population [n = 15: 2 822 974 patients; hazard ratio = 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–1.53, I2 = 90.3%; follow-up 3.8–25 years]. In the post-stroke cohort, AF was associated with a 2.70-fold increased risk of cognitive impairment [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.70; 95% CI 1.66–3.74, I2 = 0.0%; follow-up 0.25–3.78 years]. Atrial fibrillation was associated with cerebral small vessel disease, such as white matter hyperintensities and CMB (n = 8: 3698 patients; OR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.11–1.73, I2 = 0.0%), SCI (n = 13: 6188 patients; OR = 2.11; 95% CI 1.58–2.64, I2 = 0%), and decreased cerebral perfusion and cerebral volume even in the absence of clinical stroke. Conclusion Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. The association with cerebral small vessel disease and cerebral atrophy secondary to cardioembolism and cerebral hypoperfusion may suggest a plausible link in the absence of clinical stroke. PROSPERO CRD42018109185.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Han Koh
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Dennis H Lau
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | | | - Margaret Arstall
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Lyell McEwin Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Bernhard T Baune
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dian A Munawar
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Rajiv Mahajan
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Lyell McEwin Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
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