Heart failure: a weak link in CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

In atrial fibrillation, stroke risk is assessed by the CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc score. Heart failure is included in CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc, but the rationale is uncertain. Our objective was to test if heart failure is a risk factor for stroke, independent of other risk factors in CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc.

Methods and results

We studied 300 839 patients with atrial fibrillation in the Swedish Patient Register 2005-11. Three definitions of heart failure were used in order to assess the robustness of the results. In the main analysis, heart failure was defined by a hospital discharge diagnosis of heart failure as first or second diagnosis and a filled prescription of a diuretic within 3 months before index + 30 days. The second definit

SUBMITTER: Friberg L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5933948 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature