Prevalence of cognitive impairment and associated predictors in older atrial fibrillation patients

Observational, prospective study in a cohort of older atrial fibrillation patients undergoing oral anticoagulant therapy, assessing the prevalence of cognitive impairment and cognitive worsening, and associated factors.
Three cognitive profiles were identified with different clinical profiles: dysexecutive (17%), amnestic (25%), and normal (58%). Compared to the normal group, dysexecutive group was older, and had higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (defined as congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack or thromboembolism, vascular disease, age, sex category), while the amnestic group had worse cognitive and functional abilities, and medial temporal lobe atrophy.
Out of 128 followed-up patients, 35 (27%) had cognitive worsening, whilst it was observed that belonging to the dysexecutive or amnestic groups were main predictors of cognitive worsening.