Neuropathologic Changes Associated With Atrial Fibrillation in a Population-Based Autopsy Cohort

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. To better understand the mechanism, we examined neuropathologic changes seen with AF.

Methods. We analyzed data from an autopsy series arising from a population-based, prospective cohort study set within Group Health, an integrated health care delivery system. Participants were people aged 65 and older, community-dwelling, and nondemented at study enrollment, who died during follow-up and underwent autopsy. AF was defined from medical records. Permanent AF was defined as having two or more electrocardiograms showing AF between 6 and 36 months apart with no evidence of sinus rhythm in between. The primary study outcomes were gross infarcts, neuritic plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles, ascertained using consensus guidelines. Adjusted relative risks and 95% CIs were calculated using modified Poisson regression, weighted to account for selection into the autopsy cohort. Read More