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No, it does not affect your cognition, but a stroke will! (;)
The purpose of the DOACs (Direct Oral Anti-Coagulants) is to retard the clotting mechanism. NOT stop it altogether...just slow it down. Why? Because the single great risk of AF is stroke....................period. Why? Because when the heart is fibrillating, or in flutter, it doesn't flush itself out continuously by heavy throughput of blood into and out of its four chambers. Specifically, AF involves an improper function in the left atrium. The left atrium has an appendage at upper right. That appendage, more like a shallow 'grotto', is where stale blood can pool due to poor flow in the atrium. Stale blood begins to congeal or to clot. You don't want that!! So, the apixaban and other similar drugs retard that process by about 3 minutes or less, but enough that most of the stale blood will get moved along and join the rest of the flow. That's the idea.
My advice is to just accept that you have a newly disordered heart and that you'll reduce the risk of stroke by taking the DOAC.
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Your explanation is excellent, gloaming! I’m having the Watchman procedure next week & will be glad to get it over with. People need to be aware of how serious A-Fib is, get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion if necessary, but get treatment! It’s difficult to accept the diagnosis, but we just have to adjust. I was doing everything “right”, but in my case it was just hereditary. So, I’ll continue doing what I was with diet & get back to the gym after the Watchman recovery! Oh - - I’m the 76 year old with cerebral palsy from a birth injury, using a walker the last 12 years, going to the gym, have 1 son/10 grandkids & very independent except when my sweet husband gets “that look”. So, when I say we adjust? I mean we pray first, get over ourselves, pull our big girl panties up & get on with living! I’ll get off my soapbox now 🤣