I saw this happen with my mother who had a fib for years. She used aspirin up until her last ten or fifteen years of life. Then was switched to warfarin. At one point she was given a brain scan and they found calcified arteries and TIAs. I don't recall the timing as to how many years she was on warfarin. She died at age 86, having had afib for around 36 years. Her last 7 years she needed assistance with daily living tasks.

I could be wrong but I think the problem with warfarin is that people eliminate vitamin k. Towards the end of her life I started giving her a daily vitamin k supplement and they adjusted her warfarin accordingly. Vitamin k helps stop calcium from building up in the arteries. When she first started on warfarin they had her avoiding all greens. The trick is to eat the same amount daily.

I am assuming the newer blood thinners don't cause this problem because you do not need to avoid vitamin k with them.

Hwkmn well, you could certainly go nuts reading all these scare articles. I say they should just find a CURE for a-fib and we could all throw away our anticoagulation!!!

Medical News Today had this article on their front page, too:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/310148.php
Yoga, meditation may reduce dementia risk

So, it looks like if you do yoga AND take your anticoagulant youre working a balanced game.

Carpe diem,
atp

I take 2 MK7 a day along with my warfarin. I don't really know if that will help or not. It is worth a try.

So much conflicting info! One day something is good for you and later it is bad for you:( Who really knows what to do anymore? All I know is l don't like taking drugs! No-one really seems to care! I hope you are all doing well?

When I went on Warfarin the blood clinic said I needed 90mcg of K a day. I am still on that. Multi vitamin has like 30 and I eat peas and green beans and do measure them. This plan I formed. If I eat out I do count the V K. So have salad,

I had brain scan 1 1/2 years ago when I fell and hit my head on sidewalk. I was okay. He sewed up the cut. and kept me all night.

Dr. Bunch previously listed 5 risk factors (Warfarin is only 1 of the 5)associated with afib that are associated with dementia:

Since our initial discovery, we had tried to understand the association. So far we have found five clinical risk factors in atrial fibrillation patients that raise the risk of dementia:

1. Type, duration, and efficacy of anticoagulation treatment. Most atrial fibrillation patients are treated with anticoagulation to lower their risk of stroke. Worldwide, the most common drug used is warfarin (coumadin). Warfarin levels can be erratic in some people, often exposing them to periods of both under- and over-anticoagulation. The most exposure to periods of under- or over-anticoagulation raises risk of dementia significantly. These findings suggest that one of the reasons people with atrial fibrillation develop dementia is that they are exposed to small clots or bleeds within the brain, or both. This dementia risk is increased in atrial fibrillation patients who need to take aspirin or plavix because they have had a prior heart attack, stent, or bypass surgery. In this latter scenario, the added anticoagulant effects of aspirin likely increase risk of microbleeds.

2. Sleep apnea. Patients with untreated sleep apnea have a 50 percent chance of developing atrial fibrillation. Sleep apnea leads to acceleration and worsening of atrial fibrillation. Untreated sleep apnea also makes it much more difficult to treat atrial fibrillation. Sleep apnea also is associated with cognitive decline and dementia.

3. Heart rate. The heart often compensates for a slight loss in efficacy from atrial fibrillation by elevating the heart rate. We treat elevated heart rates to minimize risk of heart failure with atrial fibrillation. However, when the heart rate falls below 70 beats per minute (a normal level in people without atrial fibrillation), organ perfusion can be impacted. We have found an inverse association between heart rate and dementia risk, i.e., the lower the average heart rate over 24 hours, the greater the risk. The risk of dementia goes up when the average 24-hour heart rate is below 70 beats per minute in people who are in atrial fibrillation all the time. In these people, we are lowering the levels of medications used to slow the heart rate, and in some people who continue to have slow heart rates we are placing pacemakers to raise the heart rate.

4. Genetic factors. We have found genetic mutations associated with early atrial fibrillation and with stroke and thrombosis that predict early onset dementia. In this case, people who have first-degree relatives with early atrial fibrillation and dementia may be at increased risk. In those people, we are particularly careful in regard to the risk factors noted above to minimize any additional risk.

5. Inactivity. Inactivity and lack of exercise is a significant risk factor for atrial fibrillation and cognitive decline. We believe that if we start increasing activity to promote weight loss early after atrial fibrillation develops, the negative effects of the arrhythmia can be significantly reduced. Activity and exercise also lead to healthier vessels of organs such as the brain, which improves its perfusion and function over a lifetime.

Here's more on that article with a note at the end saying they are going to do a similar study with NOACs.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/835063

Todd

I used to have 4 episodes a month of a-fib. Had pill-in-pocket rythmol when I got an episode. Then went on rythmol everyday. I ended up in atrial flutter. Got an atrial flutter ablation which allows me to tolerate rythmol and I take a half dose of 'toprol daily. I don't worry about anti-coagulants. I slam an aspirin when I have an episode which comes along maybe once every three months and which is soon over after taking my morning dose. I rarely think about a-fib these days.

I just want to reminder everyone, that I was taking a whole aspirin (325 mg) every day for five years when I had my AFIB stroke. A stroke is no fun. I was lucky, most of the physical and mental issues resolved in a few months, except 2 1/2 years latter I still only have partial sight in my right eye. Please be aware of the risk you are taking by cutting back your anti coagulant. The brain does grow back easily.

Brain bleeds are no fun, nor is dementia. I'll stick with my aspirin.

Aspirin causes brain bleeds too, is not effective for afib stroke, and is not reversible. Aspirin changes platelets forever. It takes 7 days to generate new platelets.

https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2015/12/21/12/59/the-risk-of-intracranial-hemorrhage-with-anticoagulation-in-the-elderly


"The Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to Prevent Strokes (AVERROES) trial18 was a randomized double-blind trial designed to compare apixaban 5 mg twice-daily vs. aspirin (81-324 mg/day) for stroke prevention in patients with AF and at least one additional risk factor for stroke, but considered "unsuitable" to treatment with warfarin. In a population with a mean age of 70 years, the study reported a comparable incidence of ICH for aspirin and apixaban. 11 intracranial bleeds were reported with apixaban and 13 with aspirin (0.4% per annum for both, OR for apixaban vs. aspirin: 0.85, 95% CI 0.38-1.90). - "

"Summary Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a growing cause of death and disability worldwide, because of the increasing number of elderly people and the increasing use of oral anticoagulants (OACs). Even a perfectly conducted VKA treatment, with international normalized ratio (INR) between 2 and 3 in AF patients, doubles the risk of ICH. ICH is significantly reduced in patients receiving new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) compared to warfarin; all four pivotal trials reported a risk reduction by roughly a half, which represents a substantial benefit of treatment with NOACs. The annual incidence of ICH in populations not treated with any anticoagulant is closely related to patients' age, and when adjusted by the age of the cohort under study it seems not too far from the annual incidence reported in patients taking NOACs. It has been hypothesized that, by selectively targeting thrombin and not interfering with the formation of TF-VIIa complexes, NOACs preserve hemostatic mechanisms in the brain, while warfarin does not. The lower rate of ICH reported for these drugs compared with warfarin can also be explained by the peculiar interaction of NOACs with the transport mechanism of P-glycoprotein. "

Clearly, NOACs are the safest and most effective AFIB treatments to prevent stroke, while not causing ICH (intercranial hemorrhage). Pradaxa is now reversible also!

Dr.Natale told me that Eliquis is no riskier than aspirin in regards to having a bleed. This is in an actual study, but I don't recall which one.

Aspirin is very beneficial even apart from afib. A single baby aspirin a day has a microscopic chance of a brain bleed.. And unlike warfarin and the new blood thinners, it has not been shown to cause dementia.

Island, possibly but, there are several other known documented risks for its use, such as breast cancer, kidney failure , macular degeneration, decreased stomach lining, hearing loss and ED. It also depletes minerals and nutrients vital to our hearts such as C, E and Zinc. With a few simple changes such as less sugar and processed foods, more raw veggies, increased exercise etc, aspirin could be eliminated.

Journal of the American Medical Association 201010, 11 Scottish study found that aspirin did not help prevent heart attacks or strokes in healthy, asymptomatic individuals with a high risk of heart disease