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Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn of The Heart Center at Overlea

Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn Discusses Possible Link Between Atrial Fibrillation And Dementia/Alzheimer's Disease On WBAL-TV11's “Woman's Doctor”

Research shows a connection between atrial fibrillation and dementia or Alzheimer's Disease.

Atrial fibrillation is a common condition in which the top chamber of the heart quivers instead of contracting and beating. About 5 million people have it.

"The heartbeat is very rapid and irregular," said Mercy Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn of The Heart Center at Overlea. "Some individuals complain of palpitations, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath and they just don't feel good. Others don't feel anything."

According to Dr. Kahn, one of the dangers of atrial fibrillation is clots forming in the upper chamber of the heart that could go to the brain, causing a stroke.

Research shows the condition increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's.

"A recent study published said that of 37,000 patients over a five-year period, if you were 70 or younger and had atrial fibrillation, your chance of developing dementia is 140 percent greater than if you didn't have it," Dr. Kahn said.

The study suggested that more aggressive treatment of atrial fibrillation might be in order, including the blood thinner Coumadin to avoid the clots or a procedure into the heart to find and fix the short circuit.

"It's a long, involved procedure that takes six to seven hours or longer to find where the short circuit is," Dr. Kahn added.

The risk of atrial fibrillation gets greater as you get older, some other causes are an overactive thyroid and drinking excessive amounts of caffeine.

To learn more of Dr. Kahn's interview about atrial fibrillation on WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor" program, click here: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/20119353/detail.html.