Irregular heartbeat doubles risk for silent strokes

Atrial fibrillation, a common condition where the heart beats abnormally, may more than double the risk of "silent" strokes, a new review published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests.
Silent strokes have no signs or symptoms, but can affect thinking and memory. In addition, recent research has shown that atrial fibrillation is associated with a 40 percent increased risk for mental impairment, the researchers noted.