New Blood Thinners Could Help Slow Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s, Study Finds - Video

Newer blood thinners may be associated with slower cognitive decline in people with both Alzheimer’s disease and atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published in the European Heart Journal.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet analysed data from the Swedish Registry for Cognitive Disorders and included 7,308 people diagnosed with both conditions. Participants were matched according to treatment with newer non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs), the older anticoagulant warfarin, or no anticoagulant treatment.

Cognitive function was assessed using the standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

People treated with NOACs experienced significantly slower cognitive decline than those receiving warfarin or no anticoagulants. The difference was slightly more than 0.2 MMSE points per year. Although modest over one year, the researchers said the difference could become more relevant if sustained over several years.

NOAC treatment was also associated with lower risks of stroke, blood clots, fractures and death compared with no anticoagulant treatment. Warfarin was similarly associated with lower risks of stroke, blood clots and death, but was linked with a higher risk of major bleeding.

Researchers said anticoagulation could potentially influence cognition by reducing stroke and small-vessel brain damage or by improving cerebral blood flow. However, these mechanisms were not directly established by the study.

The findings do not prove that NOACs prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease. The study was observational, meaning treatment was not randomly assigned. Differences in patients’ health, treatment decisions and other factors may therefore have influenced the results. Some participants may also have changed anticoagulant treatment during follow-up.

Further randomised studies are needed to determine whether NOAC treatment has a direct effect on cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease and AF.

The researchers said the findings add to evidence that anticoagulant treatment may have effects beyond stroke prevention, while emphasising that treatment decisions should consider individual risks and benefits.

REFERENCE: Nanbo Zhu, Hong Xu, Sara Garcia-Ptacek, Sumonto Mitra, Maria Eriksdotter. Oral anticoagulants, cognition, and clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation and Alzheimer’s disease: a Swedish nationwide study. European Heart Journal, 2026; DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag584