Galenko O, Jacobs V, Knight S, et al. - Given that atrial fibrillation (AF) leads to changed brain perfusion and ischemia, potentially resulting in cerebral injury and blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption, which may cause permeation of neurospecific molecules into the bloodstream, researchers retrospectively examined patients with AF and non-AF controls to determine circulating levels of biomarkers of cerebral injury in these individuals, which included astrocyte-specific glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP), calcium-binding protein B, stress response marker growth differential factor 15, and microtubule associated Tau protein. They found that patients with AF exhibited high circulating biomarkers of neuronal and glial injury ie, Tau and GFAP, which were consistent with subclinical cerebral injury and disruption of the BBB. This suggests a predisposition for developing cognitive dysfunction and/or dementia later in life in these patients.