Atrial fibrillation (AF) raises the risk for stroke, which leads to cognitive decline.

But there’s evidence that AF can lead to a thinking disorder even in the absence of stroke.

A long-term study looked at 5,510 men and women over the age of 65, and found that AF developed in 552 of them during a seven-year follow-up. Among those, cognitive impairment was common, even in those who didn’t suffer a stroke.

In addition, their thinking abilities declined faster.

For people over 75, the average decline was about three points faster per year of aging compared to those without AF, according to the study, published in Neurology.

In a different study, researchers evaluated 788 patients admitted to a stroke unit. They included 548 with ischemic stroke, 168 with transient ischemic attack (pre-strokes), and 72 with brain bleeds.

They discovered a correlation between some of the patients diagnosed with AF who went on to suffer an ischemic stroke.

This study provides additional evidence that AF, which becomes more common as people get older, must be diagnosed early and treated effectively.

It’s also motivation to eat a healthy diet, remain physically active, maintain an ideal body weight, and keep blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels on target, as these all contribute to the development of AF.