Atrial fibrillation (AF) confers a 2-to-3-fold increased
risk of developing
cognitive dysfunction and
dementia, independent of age and past
stroke. The purpose of study was to identify
risk factors for developing
dementia amongst AF
patients in
India. This was a single-centre, prospective,
observational study wherein recently diagnosed,
treatment naïve, persistent non-valvular AF
patients were enrolled. All
patients were screened for
dementia using the Mini-Mental
state exam. Amongst a total of 108
patients enrolled, 40 (37%) had
dementia. The most common cognitive deficits were in
attention and calculation followed by
memory deficits. Factors independently contributing to
dementia were advanced age,
female sex, presence of diabetes, elevated
pulmonary artery pressures and a lower
serum albumin.