Atrial Fibrillation linked to Alzheimer's

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition where the heart pacemaker is not functioning effectively causing the heart rhythm to become erratic and irregular. Left alone, blood clot can form in the heart chambers. This clot then in turn can be pushed out from the heart, ending up of all places usually in the brain circulation and may result in a stroke. It is a common condition especially in the elderly. It can also be caused by thyroid problems, longstanding hypertension and damaged heart valves.

A group in Utah however found that patients with AF have more incident of Alzheimer disease - in Malay-speak nyanyok!. However it cannot conclude if this is a direct relation or rather due to coincidence as both condition are more common in the elderly. More research are needed though but the trend is interesting. I thought it is more likely that the patient become forgetful due to small strokes occuring over time.