Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Lower risk of dementia with early rhythm control therapy and a healthy lifestyle in patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation
- Korean National Health Insurance Service database
- propensity score weighting
Authors' conclusion
A combination of ERC and HLS might mitigate the risk of dementia in patients with new-onset AF. These findings support a holistic approach to preventing dementia in this population.
Study context
- Population
- Patients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) between 2009 and 2016group 1 96,907 · group 2 53,293 · group 3 29,234 · group 4 20,513
- Participants
- 199,947 patients
- Exposure
- combining early rhythm control (ERC) and a healthy lifestyle (HLS) with the risk of incident dementia
- group 1n = 96,907
- group 2n = 53,293
- group 3n = 29,234
- group 4n = 20,513
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
All dementia subtypes
Weighted hazard ratio (95% CI)
group 4 vs group 1
0.691(0.649–0.735)
group 2 vs group 1
0.754(0.725–0.785)
group 3 vs group 1
0.919(0.876–0.964)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | weighted hazard ratio (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Vascular dementia — group 4 vs group 1 | 0.598 (0.507–0.705) | |
| Vascular dementia — group 2 vs group 1 | 0.802 (0.728–0.882) | |
| Vascular dementia — group 3 vs group 1 | 0.803 (0.708–0.911) | |
| Alzheimer dementia — group 4 vs group 1 | 0.728 (0.680–0.780) | |
| Alzheimer dementia — group 2 vs group 1 | 0.747 (0.715–0.782) | |
| Alzheimer dementia — group 3 vs group 1 · comparable risk | 0.958 (0.908–1.010) | |
| 0.512Weighted hazard ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
Lower risk of dementia with early rhythm control therapy and a healthy lifestyle in patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm. Published 25 May 2026. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2026.05.039
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it