Common blood thinning drugs can halve the risk of dementia among people with an irregular heartbeat, scientists have found.
A study of 440,000 people found patients who took warfarin and other clot busters were 48 per cent less likely to develop dementia over a decade.
Abnormal heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation, affects an estimated 900,000 patients in England.
The condition greatly increases the risk of stroke and early death, and patients are also more likely than others to develop dementia.
This is thought to be because tiny blood clots form in the head, stopping the flow of oxygen to the brain.
