According to recent research that was conducted during an Italian study and published in the August 6 Journal of the American College of Cardiology, subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes might increase vascular brain disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

“Brief episodes of atrial fibrillation were significantly associated cross-sectionally with baseline prevalence of silent cerebrovascular ischemia detected by brain MRI and prospectively with stroke events in type 2 diabetic patients who did not have clinical atrial fibrillation,” Dr. Raffaele Marfella from Second University of Naples, Italy told Reuters Health. “Thus, the identification of ‘brief episodes of AF’ in type 2 diabetic patients may have some clinical significance even after assessment of target organ damage.”

Despite adjusting the data for the diabetes-related risk factors including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia, diabetes is associated with a doubling in the risk of stroke compared with those without diabetes, Marfella explained.

“About one-quarter of strokes are of unknown cause,” he adds. “Moreover, the risk of atrial fibrillation, a major cause of thromboembolic stroke, is increased by 40 percent in individuals with diabetes. Thus, subclinical atrial fibrillation may be a common etiologic factor. In this context we are partially surprised by our findings.”

For this study, Marfella and colleagues wanted to see if there were any links between asymptomatic episodes of AF and silent cerebral infarct and strokes in diabetic patients who were under the age of 60. After following their participants for 37 months, they found that the subclinical AF was higher in the diabetics than it was in the healthier controls. So far, the researchers cannot find a temporal link between the AF episodes and cerebrovascular disease. They have concluded that the silent cerebral infarcts are caused by a similar AF that existed in the patients with silent AF.

AF is a condition that is characterized by patients suffering from fluttering heartbeats and irregular heartbeats. The condition is treated with various prescription medications including anticoagulants. One of those drugs was Multaq. Multaq is made by Sanofi-Aventis and has been linked to serious side effects including a worsening of the heart condition, liver failure and lung toxicity. It is for this reason that the FDA has recommended that doctors only prescribe Multaq if all other medications fail to work.

If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure or a worsening heart condition after being treated with Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.