May 06, 2016 06:33 AM EDT By Mariel Hemingway, UniversityHerald Reporter

Warfarin, a popular heart disease drug used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) is linked to an increased risk of dementia. AF is a condition that is more common among the elderly and Warfarin is regularly prescribed for the condition. This could mean the dementia cases could rise with the increased use of Warfarin.

Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, UT, analyzed their data from more than 10,000 long time users of Warfarin who were without any diagnosis of dementia. While other used the drug for AF, there were patients who used it for other conditions including valvular heart disease, Medical News Today reported. They found that over several years, nearly 6 percent of the study participants who had AF had dementia and Alzheimer's disease compared to those who used Warfarin to treat other conditions.

AF is a condition where the heart beats irregularly. Two chambers in the heart beat out of sync and this result in symptoms including weakness, shortness of breath and palpitations, Mayo Clinic wrote. Having AF could increase the risk of heart-related conditions including heart failure and stroke.

Dr. Bunch added that Warfarin is not easy to administer as it can either cause internal bleeding or prevent blood clots. People had to take regular blood tests in order to correct their dosage. He also explained that erratic levels of Warfarin among users could cause higher dementia and Alzheimer's risk whether they used it for AF or for other conditions, WebMD noted.

However, their research did not provide evidence that dementia is directly linked to having AF or using Warfarin. Dr. Bunch reveals that both could be contributing factors as it treats blood clots in the brain and the risk of brain bleed could negatively impact it.

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