Atrial fibrillation, stroke, and cognition : A longitudinal population-based study of people aged 85 and older

• Published in: Stroke (1970) 2007-05, Vol.38 (5), p.1454-1460
• Main Authors: RASTAS, Sari, VERKKONIEMI, Auli, POLVIKOSKI, Tuomo, JUVA, Kati, NIINISTO, Leena, MATTILA, Kimmo, LÄNSIMIES, Esko, PIRTTILÄ, Tuula, SULKAVA, Raimo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Fibrillation - complications; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - pathology; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology. Vascular system; Dementia - etiology; Dementia - pathology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Heart; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Stroke - etiology; Stroke - pathology; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system
• ISSN: 0039-2499; 1524-4628
• DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.106.477299

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, dementia, and their correlation with brain pathology in subjects aged 85 years or older. This is a prospective 9-year follow-up population based study in Vantaa, a town in Southern Finland; 553 subjects (92% of the total population) aged 85 years or older were clinically examined by a neurologist. The presence of AF was collected from the medical records or examined by ECG or ambulatory ECG. Neuropathological examination was conducted in more than half of the clinically examined subjects. AF was significantly associated with stroke at baseline; 32% of patients with AF had clinical evidence of stroke compared with 16.7% of those without such evidence (P