Home Health & LifeStyle Atrial Fibrillation Can Lead to Silent Strokes
The author of the new study, Dr. Shadi Kalantarian, said that patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation have a higher risk of experiencing silent strokes. Dr. Shadi Kalantarian is a resident at Yale School of Medicine, New Haven. Previous studies show that silent strokes are usually associated with an increased risk of symptomatic stroke and an increased risk of dementia.
Dr. Kalantarian said that: 'The higher prevalence of silent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation may put this population at a higher risk for mental impairment, future stroke and disability.'
According to recent statistics, more than 2.7 American people, especially older people, have atrial fibrillation. This is an electrical disorder known to cause the upper heart chambers to contract quicker and irregularly. Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood pools and coagulations in the heart, which leads to clots, which are one of the main reasons for strokes.
The scientists reviewed 11 previous studies about the link between atrial fibrillation and silent strokes. The 11 studies concerned more than 5,000 patients. This type of study is called a meta-analysis and scientists try to find patterns to support a medical conclusion. If the scientists find similar patterns or trends in different studies, the conclusions can be stronger than what results from a single study.
Although the studies associated atrial fibrillation with silent strokes, the researchers did not find a cause and effect link between them. In order to prevent strokes, the patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation need to take medication, usually blood-thinning drugs. Apparently, blood thinning drugs can lower the risks of strokes, and the benefits of these drugs outweigh the potential risk of bleeding.
The medical researchers could not say whether the anticoagulant drugs can prevent silent strokes, as efficiently as they prevent normal strokes.
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Jill started her journalistic career by writing trend pieces and following the daily dalliances of today's hottest celebrities. However, she soon realized that, while fascinating, these events didn't hold as much sway over her interest as business news. She fast tracked her way through a business major in college and now enjoys writing in-depth pieces on world news, economy, and the advertising industry. She is also passionate about climate change and believes that alternative fuels are the future of the world. When she's not writing for Wall Street OTC, Jill is tweeting away off her personal account and keeping up a blog at the crossroads between business and entertainment.
