Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Cognitive impairment and incident atrial fibrillation in individuals without stroke: evidence from two prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis
- Prospective cohort study with Mendelian randomization analysis
- two prospective cohorts (Kailuan, UK Biobank)
Authors' conclusion
Cognitive impairment independently predicts incident AF in stroke-free individuals.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥45 years free of stroke, atrial fibrillation (AF), other CVD or cancer at baseline (Kailuan study and UK Biobank)
- Exposure
- Cognitive impairment vs normal cognition
- Outcome
- Incident AF
Main finding
Incident AF (Kailuan)
Adjusted hazard ratio
2.32
95% CI 1.21–4.45
Cognitive impairment vs Normal cognition
aHR 2.32 (95% CI 1.21–4.45)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aHR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Incident AF by domain-specific cognition (UK Biobank) — Poorer reasoning vs Normal cognition | 1.21 (1.03–1.43) | |
| Incident AF by domain-specific cognition (UK Biobank) — Poorer processing speed vs Normal cognition | 1.23 (1.03–1.47) | |
| 0.512Adjusted hazard ratio (log scale) |
Incident AF by domain-specific cognition (UK Biobank)
- Associations remained robust after excluding incident stroke cases
Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis
- Genetically predicted better reasoning ability associated with lower risk of new-onset AF
Original publication
Cognitive impairment and incident atrial fibrillation in individuals without stroke: evidence from two prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 7 July 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag334
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it