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Copyright of Revista Española de Cardiología (18855857) is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Aim: The annual risk of major bleeding due to anticoagulant use ranges from 2% to 5%, with 0.5% to 1% of these bleedings being fatal. The global usage of oral anticoagulants is 0.65%, with warfarin being the most commonly used oral anticoagulant agent. In our study, we aimed to determine the long-term bleeding risks of patients using warfarin in our clinic and to make treatment and risk factor adjustments according to this risk situation. We investigated the effectiveness of the most commonly used bleeding risk scores and their superiority over one another in this study. Materials and Methods: This study included patients taking warfarin from January 2010 to January 1, 2022. Demographic data, laboratory parameters, known, and potential bleeding risk factors were recorded for all patients. Pre-treatment CHA2DS2-VASc, ATRIA, HAS-BLED, and ORBIT scores were calculated for all patients included in the study, along with their time in therapeutic range (TTR) values during follow-up. Patients were retrospectively monitored for bleeding events. Results: In our study, we observed that anemia, chronic kidney failure, cancer, and mechanical valves were associated with an increased risk of bleeding compared with other risk factors. We found that among the risk scores assessed in patients, the HAS-BLED risk score more strongly predicted the risk of bleeding than the other risk scores. Additionally, we found that low TTR values were directly associated with bleeding. Conclusion: Modifying identified risk factors in patients during the warfarin treatment process (such as anemia, chronic kidney failure, etc.) may reduce the risk of bleeding. Similarly, close monitoring of TTR, particularly in patients with high HAS-BLED and ORBIT risk scores assessed before treatment initiation, is considered a safe treatment approach to reduce the risk of bleeding.

Background and Aim: The annual risk of major bleeding due to anticoagulant use ranges from 2% to 5%, with 0.5% to 1% of these bleedings being fatal. The global usage of oral anticoagulants is 0.65%, with warfarin being the most commonly used oral anticoagulant agent. In our study, we aimed to determine the long-term bleeding risks of patients using warfarin in our clinic and to make treatment and risk factor adjustments according to this risk situation. We investigated the effectiveness of the most commonly used bleeding risk scores and their superiority over one another in this study. Materials and Methods: This study included patients taking warfarin from January 2010 to January 1, 2022. Demographic data, laboratory parameters, known, and potential bleeding risk factors were recorded for all patients. Pre-treatment CHA2DS2-VASc, ATRIA, HAS-BLED, and ORBIT scores were calculated for all patients included in the study, along with their time in therapeutic range (TTR) values during follow-up. Patients were retrospectively monitored for bleeding events. Results: In our study, we observed that anemia, chronic kidney failure, cancer, and mechanical valves were associated with an increased risk of bleeding compared with other risk factors. We found that among the risk scores assessed in patients, the HAS-BLED risk score more strongly predicted the risk of bleeding than the other risk scores. Additionally, we found that low TTR values were directly associated with bleeding. Conclusion: Modifying identified risk factors in patients during the warfarin treatment process (such as anemia, chronic kidney failure, etc.) may reduce the risk of bleeding. Similarly, close monitoring of TTR, particularly in patients with high HAS-BLED and ORBIT risk scores assessed before treatment initiation, is considered a safe treatment approach to reduce the risk of bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bosphorus Medical Journal / Boğaziçi Tıp Dergisi is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dalam upaya tata laksana fibriasi atrium (FA) untuk mencegah risiko stroke, antikoagulan seperti warfarin dapat digunakan. Indeks terapi yang sempit mendukung bahwa pengawasan selama penggunaan warfarin diperlukan untuk mencegah risiko perdarahan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan status risiko perdarahan pada sekelompok pasien FA yang menggunakan warfarin berdasarkan nilai HAS-BLED di RS ABC Gianyar, Bali. Penelitian observasional deskriptif dilakukan dengan pendekatan retrospective case study terhadap data pasien rawat jalan di RS ABC Gianyar. Penelitian ini mengikutsertakan seluruh pasien FA penerima warfarin berdasarkan riwayat selama periode Januari 2022-Mei 2023. Pencatatan dan asesmen risiko perdarahan mencakup komponen penilaian HAS-BLED yang diilustrasikan dalam bentuk tabel dan gambar sesuai profil pasien keseluruhan. Dari sejumlah delapan pasien FA, lima pasien (62,5%) memiliki risiko perdarahan sedang (nilai 1-2), dan sisanya berada dalam kategori risiko rendah (nilai 0). Mayoritas proporsi pada stratifikasi risiko perdarahan sedang dipengaruhi oleh parameter usia lanjut >65 tahun (50,00%), penggunaan antiplatelet atau antiinflamasi nonsteroid (NSAID) (25,00%), dan nilai INR yang tinggi (12,50%). Meskipun tidak ditemukan risiko perdarahan tinggi, pemantauan selama penggunaan warfarin diperlukan dengan berfokus pada faktor risiko yang dapat dimodifikasi. Keterbatasan jumlah sampel dan beberapa parameter laboratorium pada penelitian ini dapat menjadi masukan untuk kemajuan praktik klinis maupun pengembangan penelitian selanjutnya

Ischemic stroke treatment has been changing in recent years and these procedures have positive effects on patients' prognosis, morbidity, and mortality. Intravenous Treatment with Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator (iv r-tPA) is one of the most efficient approaches in ischemic stroke patients. When administered in the first 4.5 h from symptom onset, it has been proven to be effective in functional improvement. However, physicians may feel hesitant about administering these treatments regarding the possible complications,especially the patients with recurrent stroke. The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature on the efficacy and safety of recur-rent iv r-tPA therapy in patients with recurrent stroke. We present seven patients who underwent thrombolytic treatment more than one time between September 2017 and September 2020 and recorded the patients' gender, risk factors, age, initial/final National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and hemorrhagic transformation rates. Mean interval of iv r-TPA treatment was 244.7 days (minimum 58 days, maximum 1 year 9 months 10 days). Average of NIHSS calculated as 7.57 before the first and 8.26 before the second iv r-tPA treatment; at the time of discharge mean of NIHSS was 1.57 and 2.8 respectively for five patients. Five of the patients have been identified as cardioembolic in aetiology. In two of our cases, clinical worsening was observed in the follow-ups after iv r-tPA. Our symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates were similar to the literature seen in one patient. Rates of bleeding were directly proportional with calculated HAS-BLED scores in patients who were started anticoagulation. Our complication rates were similar with literature and the prognosis of recurrent r-tPA was discovered to have a good prognosis in the first 3 months.

Background : Videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) is considered the gold standard for overt and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), after negative upper and lower endoscopy. Nonetheless, VCE's diagnostic yield is suboptimal, and it represents a costly, time-consuming, and often not easily available technique. In order to evaluate bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, several scoring systems have been proposed, but their utilization outside the original clinical setting has rarely been explored. The aim of the study is to evaluate potential role of bleeding risk scoring systems in predicting the occurrence of positive findings at VCE examination, and therefore in increasing VCE diagnostic yield. Methods: Data from consecutive patients undergoing VCE between April 2015 and June 2020 were retrospectively retrieved, and clinical and demographic characteristics were collected. HAS-BLED, ATRIA, and ORBIT scores were calculated, and patients were considered at low or high risk of bleeding accordingly. Discriminative ability of the scores for positive VCE findings has been evaluated by area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) calculation. Diagnostic yield of scores in high- and low-risk patients was calculated. Results: A total of 413 patients underwent VCE examination, among which 368 (89%) for OGIB. Positive findings were observed in 246 patients (67%), with angiodysplasias being the most frequent lesion (92%). The three scores displayed similar consistent discriminative ability for positive VCE findings (mean AUC = 0.69), and identified high-risk group of patients in which VCE has a higher diagnostic yield. Conclusions: In the present retrospective study, bleeding scores accurately discriminated patients with higher probability of positive findings at VCE examination. Bleeding scores utilization may help in the management of patients with OGIB, with a potential consistent resource optimization and cost-saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major bleeding in the treatment of atrial fibrillation is closely associated with an increased risk of death and major adverse outcomes in both the short and long term, but all bleeding events are associated with a reduced quality of life. Bleeding events are also known to reduce medication adherence. In this sense, bleeding risk scores are important tools to help predict major bleeding. However, it is not clear which scoring system is superior. Aim: In this study, our aim was to compare bleeding risk scores and to examine the factors associated with bleeding in patients with major bleeding while using vitamin K antagonists. Methods: In this retrospective and single-center study, scoring, laboratory and demographic data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 statistical program. Results: The mean age of a total of 1434 patients included in our study was 68.2 ± 11.3 years, range was 39–93 years and 769 (53.6%) of these patients were male. Of 588 patients with major bleeding, 93 (15.8%) had intracranial hemorrhage. Logistic regression analysis comparing the scoring systems among themselves revealed that the GARFIELD-AF scoring system had a predictive effect on major bleeding independent of the effect of other scoring systems (OR: 1.532, 95% CI 1.348–1.741, p

Background In the general population, the CHA2DS2-VASC and the HAS-BLED scores are helpful to predict cerebrovascular events and hemorrhage in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, their predictive value remains controversial in the dialysis population. This study aims to explore the association between these scores and cerebral cardiovascular events in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods This is a retrospective study including all HD patients treated between January 2010 and December 2019 in two Lebanese dialysis facilities. Exclusion criteria are patients younger than 18 years old and patients with a dialysis vintage less than 6 months. Results A total of 256 patients were included (66.8% men; mean age 69.3 ± 13.9 years). The CHA2DS2-VASc score was significantly higher in patients with stroke (P  = .043). Interestingly, this difference was significant in patients without AF (P  = .017). Using receiver operating curve analysis, CHA2DS2-VASc score had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.628 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.539–0.718) and the best cut-off value for this score was 4. The HAS-BLED score was also significantly higher in patients with a hemorrhagic event (P  < .001). AUC for HAS-BLED score was 0.756 (95% CI: 0.686–0.825) and the best cut-off value was also 4. Conclusions In HD patients, CHA2DS2-VASc score can be associated with stroke and HAS-BLED score can be associated with hemorrhagic events even in patients without AF. Patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥4 are at the highest risk for stroke and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and those with a HAS-BLED score ≥4 are at the highest risk for bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the associated possible complication of pulmonary artery embolism (LAE) represent a recognized reason for significant perioperative morbidity and mortality. There is a risk of pulmonary artery embolism through embolization. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of various risk factors on the clinical outcome of the therapy, particularly regarding whether maintenance therapy offers a benefit in terms of the frequency of bleeding and thrombotic events. 80 patients were included, some of them retrospectively from July 2018. The observational period was set to 12 months after the DVT event. In the present sample with n = 80, with 57.5% men and 42.5% women (after 12 months of observation: n = 78), a success rate of the therapies administered of 89.7% was recorded. Only 8.9% showed partial recanalization. 3.8% of the patients had a relapse (also beyond the localization of the leg and pelvic veins) and 8.8% had a residual thrombus during the first 12 months of observation. In this study, BARC (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium) and HAS-BLED (Hypertension, Abnormal renal and liver function, Stroke, Bleeding, Labile INR, Elderly, Drugs or alcohol) scores for identifying the risk of bleeding and Wells scores for assessing the risk of having a thrombosis were used. The Villalta score tested in this study showed significant correlations with residual thrombus (P < .001), recurrence within 12 months (P< .001), and the risk of bleeding (P< .001) and is capable to provide an assessment of the variables mentioned not only at the possible end of therapy but also at the start of anticoagulant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bosphorus Medical Journal / Boğaziçi Tıp Dergisi is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BackgroundThe 2021 UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines tend to recommend the ORBIT score for predicting bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with anticoagulants. Herein, we comprehensively re-assessed the predicted abilities of the HAS-BLED vs. ORBIT score since several newly published data showed different findings.MethodsWe comprehensively searched the PubMed electronic database until December 2021 to identify relevant studies reporting the ORBIT vs. HAS-BLED scores in anticoagulated patients with AF. Their predicted abilities were assessed using the C-index, reclassification, and calibration analysis.ResultsFinally, 17 studies were included in this review. In the pooled analysis, the ORBIT score had a C-index of 0.63 (0.60–0.66), 0.59 (0.53–0.66), and 0.57 (0.48–0.67) for major bleeding, any clinically relevant bleeding, and intracranial bleeding, respectively, while the HAS-BLED score had a C-index of 0.61 (0.59–0.63), 0.59 (0.56–0.63), and 0.57 (0.51–0.64) for major bleeding, any clinically relevant bleeding, and intracranial bleeding, respectively. There were no statistical differences in the accuracy of predicting these bleeding events between the two scoring systems. For the outcome of major bleeding, the subgroup analyses based on vitamin K antagonists vs. direct oral anticoagulants suggested no differences in the discrimination ability between the HAS-BLED and ORBIT scores. Reclassification and calibration analyses of HAS-BLED vs. ORBIT should be further assessed due to the limited and conflicting data.ConclusionOur current findings suggested that the HAS-BLED and ORBIT scores at least had similar predictive abilities for major bleeding risk in anticoagulated (vitamin K antagonists or direct oral anticoagulants) patients with AF, supporting the use of the HAS-BLED score in clinical practice.

Introduction and Objectives: Stroke and bleeding risks in atrial fibrillation (AF) are often assessed at baseline to predict outcomes years later. We investigated whether dynamic changes in CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores over time modify risk prediction., Methods: We included patients with AF who were stable while taking vitamin K antagonists. During a 6-year follow-up, all ischemic strokes/transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and major bleeding events were recorded. CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED were recalculated every 2-years and tested for clinical outcomes at 2-year periods., Results: We included 1361 patients (mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED 4.0±1.7 and 2.9±1.2). During the follow-up, 156 (11.5%) patients had an ischemic stroke/TIA and 269 (19.8%) had a major bleeding event. Compared with the baseline CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc, the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc recalculated at 2 years had higher predictive ability for ischemic stroke/TIA during the period from 2 to 4 years. Integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) showed improvements in sensitivity and better reclassification. The CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc recalculated at 4 years had better predictive performance than the baseline CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc during the period from 4 to 6 years, with an improvement in IDI and an enhancement of the reclassification. The recalculated HAS-BLED at 2-years had higher predictive ability than the baseline score for major bleeding during the period from 2 to 4 years, with significant improvements in sensitivity and reclassification. A slight enhancement in sensitivity was observed with the HAS-BLED score recalculated at 4 years compared with the baseline score., Conclusions: In AF patients, stroke and bleeding risks are dynamic and change over time. The CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores should be regularly reassessed, particularly for accurate stroke risk prediction., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background The association between cancer types and specific bleeding events in patients with atrial fibrillation has been scarcely investigated. Also, the performance of bleeding risk scores in this high‐risk subgroup of patients is unclear. We investigated the rate of any bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage, major bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding according to cancer types in patients with atrial fibrillation. We also tested the predictive value of HAS‐BLED, ATRIA, and ORBIT bleeding risk scores. Methods and Results Observational retrospective cohort study including hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation and cancer from the French National Hospital Discharge Database (Programme de Medicalisation des Systemes d'Information) from January 2010 to December 2019. Major bleeding was defined according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium definitions. Patients with HAS‐BLED ≥3, ATRIA ≥5, or ORBIT ≥4 were classified as at high bleeding risk. Receiver operating characteristic analysis for each score against any bleeding, major bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, and intracranial hemorrhage was performed. Areas under the curve (AUCs) were then compared. We included 399 344 patients. Mean age was 77.9±10.2 years, and 63.2% were men. The highest intracranial hemorrhage rates were found in leukemia (1.89%/year), myeloma (1.52%/year), lymphoma and liver (1.45%/year), and pancreas cancer (1.41%/year). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that ORBIT score predicted best for any bleeding. In addition, ORBIT score ≥4 had the highest predictivity for major bleeding (AUC, 0.805), followed by HAS‐BLED ≥3 and ATRIA ≥5 (AUCs, 0.716 and 0.700, respectively). HAS‐BLED and ORBIT performed best for intracranial hemorrhage (AUCs, 0.744 and 0.742 for continuous scores, respectively), better than ATRIA (AUC, 0.635). For gastrointestinal bleeding, ORBIT ≥4 had the highest predictivity (AUC, 0.756), followed by the HAS‐BLED ≥3 (AUC, 0.702) and ATRIA ≥5 (AUC, 0.662). Conclusions Some cancer types carry a greater bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. The identification and management of modifiable bleeding risk factors is crucial in these patients, as well as to flag up high bleeding risk patients for early review and follow‐up.

Abstract Background We tested whether CHA2DS2-VASc and/or HAS-BLED scores better predict ischemic stroke and major bleeding, respectively, than their individual components in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods A retrospective cohort study of a clinical database containing the medical records of 268 MHD patients with non-valvular AF (167 women, mean age 73.4 ± 10.2 years). During the median follow-up of 21.0 (interquartile range, 5.0–44.0) months, 46 (17.2%) ischemic strokes and 24 (9.0%) major bleeding events were reported. Results Although CHA2DS2-VASc predicted ischemic stroke risk in the study population (adjusted HR 1.74 with 95% CI 1.23–2.46 for each unit of increase in CHA2DS2-VASc score, and HR of 5.57 with 95% CI 1.88–16.49 for CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 6), prior ischemic strokes/transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) were non-inferior in both univariate and multivariate analyses (adjusted HR 8.65 with 95% CI 2.82–26.49). The ROC AUC was larger for the prior ischemic stroke/TIA than for CHA2DS2-VASc. Furthermore, the CHA2DS2-VASc score did not predict future ischemic stroke risks in study participants who did not previously experience ischemic strokes/TIAs (adjusted HR 1.41, 95% CI: 0.84–2.36). The HAS-BLED score and its components did not have predictive abilities in discriminating bleeding risk in the study population. Conclusions Previous ischemic strokes are non-inferior for predicting of future ischemic strokes than the complete CHA2DS2-VASc score in MHD patients. CHA2DS2VASc scores are less predictive in MHD patients without histories of CVA/TIA. HAS-BLED scores do not predict major bleeding in MHD patients. These findings should redesign approaches to ischemic stroke risk stratification in MHD patients if future large-scale epidemiological studies confirm them.

Aim: Percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has been established as alternative stroke prophylaxis in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and high bleeding risk. However, little is known regarding the outcome after LAA closure depending on the HAS-BLED score. Methods: A sub-analysis of the prospective, multicenter, Left-Atrium-Appendage Occluder Register—GErmany (LAARGE) registry was performed assessing three different groups with respect to the HAS-BLED score (0–2 [group 1] vs. 3–4 [group 2] vs. 5–7 [group 3]). Results: A total of 633 patients at 38 centers were enrolled. Of them, 9% (n = 59) were in group 1, 63% (n = 400) in group 2 and 28% (n = 174) in group 3. The Kaplan–Meier estimated 1-year composite of death, stroke and systemic embolism was 3.4% in group 1 vs. 10.4% in group 2 vs. 20.1% in group 3, respectively (p log-rank < 0.001). The difference was driven by death since stroke and systemic embolism did not show a significant difference between the groups. The rate of major bleeding at 1 year was 0% vs. 0% vs. 2.4%, respectively (p = 0.016). Conclusion: The present data show that patients had similarly low rates of ischemic complications 1 year after LAA closure irrespective of the baseline bleeding risk. Higher HAS-BLED scores were associated with increased mortality due to higher age and more severe comorbidity of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warfarin was considered as the anticoagulation agent of choice for patients with liver cirrhosis and atrial fibrillation (AF) before the emergence of direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Given their superior efficacy, safety, predictable effect, and fewer drug interactions, the latter has revolutionized stroke prevention in AF, but much of this data excluded patients with liver cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of DOACs to warfarin in this unique patient population. This is a retrospective longitudinal study of patients with liver cirrhosis and atrial fibrillation on anticoagulation who were either admitted to our hospital or seen at our outpatient clinic, between January 1, 2016-January 1, 2020. Outcomes included intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, cerebrovascular insult, deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE), and all-cause mortality amongst these two groups. Warfarin had an increased incidence of GI bleeding when compared to DOACs (37.03% vs 20.45%, p <0.005) but when the differences in sex distribution and duration of follow up were accounted for, there was no statistically significant difference. There was a trend towards difference in all-cause mortality, but it failed to reach statistical significance (40.74% for 27.27% for DOACs, p=0.069). Subgroup analysis revealed that female sex was associated with an increased incidence of GI bleeding in those treated with warfarin (48.38% vs 23.33%, p<0.05). One unexpected finding was that lower HAS-BLED scores did not correlate with a low incidence of GI bleeding in women, whereas it reliably predicted bleeding risk in males. Our study did not show any significant difference in the safety and efficacy of DOACs as compared to warfarin when used for anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation and concurrent liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), a potential trigger for stroke development, is considered a modifiable condition that can halt complications, decrease mortality, and prevent morbidity. The CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores are categorized as risk assessment tools used to estimate the risk of thrombosis development and assess major bleeding among atrial fibrillation patients., Objectives: Our study aims to assess the adherence to post-discharge treatment recommendations according to CHA₂DS₂-VASc score risk group and evaluate the impact of CHA₂DS₂-VASc score and HAS-BLED score risk categories on death, length of hospital stay, complications, and hospital readmission among United Arab Emirates (UAE) patients., Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective study conducted from November 2022 to April 2023 in the United Arab Emirates. Medical charts for AF patients were assessed for possible enrolment in the study., Results: A total number of 400 patients were included with a mean age of 55 (±14.5) years. The majority were females (67.8%), and most had high CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores (60% and 57.3%, respectively). Our study showed that adherence to treatment recommendations upon discharge was 71.8%. The bivariate analysis showed that patients with a high CHA₂DS₂-VASc score had a significantly higher risk of death ( p -value of 0.001), hospital readmission ( p -value of 0.007), and complications ( p -value of 0.044) vs. the low and moderate risk group with a p -value of <0.05. Furthermore, our findings showed that the risk of death (0.001), complications (0.057), and mean hospital stay (0.003) were significantly higher in the high HAS-BLED risk score compared to both the low- and moderate-risk categories. Hospital stay was significantly higher in CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED high-risk score categories compared to the low-risk score category with a p -value of <0.001., Conclusion: Our study concluded that the adherence to treatment guidelines in atrial fibrillation patients was high and showed that patients received the most effective and patient-centered treatment. In addition, our study concluded that the risk of complications and mortality was higher in high-risk category patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Ayash, Malaeb, Hallit and Hosseini.)

Background: Several bleeding risk assessment models have been developed in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with oral anticoagulants, but the most appropriate tool for predicting bleeding remains uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the Hypertension, Abnormal liver/renal function, Stroke, Bleeding history or predisposition, Labile international normalized ratio, Elderly, Drugs/alcohol concomitantly (HAS-BLED) score compared with other risk scores in anticoagulated patients with AF.Methods: We comprehensively searched the PubMed and Embase databases until July 2021 to identify relevant pieces of literature. The predictive abilities of risk scores were fully assessed by the C-statistic, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) values, calibration data, and decision curve analyses.Results: A total of 39 studies met the inclusion criteria. The C-statistic of the HAS-BLED score for predicting major bleeding was 0.63 (0.61–0.65) in anticoagulated patients regardless of vitamin k antagonists [0.63 (0.61–0.65)] and direct oral anticoagulants [0.63 (0.59–0.67)]. The HAS-BLED had the similar C-statistic to the Hepatic or renal disease, Ethanol abuse, Malignancy, Older, Reduced platelet count or function, Re-bleeding risk, Hypertension (uncontrolled), Anemia, Genetic factors, Excessive fall risk, Stroke (HEMORR2HAGES), the Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA), the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT), the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF), or the Age, Biomarkers, Clinical History (ABC) scores, but significantly higher C-statistic than the Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years, Diabetes mellitus, Stroke/transient ischemic attack history (CHADS2) or the Congestive heart failure/left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40%, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years, Diabetes mellitus, Stroke/transient ischemic attack/thromboembolism history, Vascular disease, Age 65–74 years, Sex (female) (CHA2DS2-VASc) scores. NRI and IDI values suggested that the HAS-BLED score performed better than the CHADS2 or the CHA2DS2-VASc scores and had similar or superior predictive ability compared with the HEMORR2HAGES, the ATRIA, the ORBIT, or the GARFIELD-AF scores. Calibration and decision curve analyses of the HAS-BLED score compared with other scores required further assessment due to the limited evidence.Conclusion: The HAS-BLED score has moderate predictive abilities for bleeding risks in patients with AF regardless of type of oral anticoagulants. Current evidence support that the HAS-BLED score is at least non-inferior to the HEMORR2HAGES, the ATRIA, the ORBIT, the GARFIELD-AF, the CHADS2, the CHA2DS2-VASc, or the ABC scores.

Background: Guidelines indicate that oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment decisions in atrial fibrillation should be based on a balanced consideration of thromboembolic and bleeding risk. Materials & methods: A retrospective cohort of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients were identified. Univariate logistic regression and conditional inference trees were used to quantify the importance of the CHA2DS2-VASc and modified HAS-BLED scores and their individual components on OAC treatment decisions. Results: The individual components of these risk scores provided more distinguishability between treated and untreated patients than the risk scores themselves, with bleeding risk factors strongly associated with nontreatment. Conclusion: While individual components of risk scores drive OAC treatment decisions according to guidelines, the relationship between bleeding risk factors and nontreatment warrants further consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We tested whether CHA2DS2-VASc and/or HAS-BLED scores better predict ischemic stroke and major bleeding, respectively, than their individual components in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods: A retrospective cohort study of a clinical database containing the medical records of 268 MHD patients with non-valvular AF (167 women, mean age 73.4 ± 10.2 years). During the median follow-up of 21.0 (interquartile range, 5.0-44.0) months, 46 (17.2%) ischemic strokes and 24 (9.0%) major bleeding events were reported.Results: Although CHA2DS2-VASc predicted ischemic stroke risk in the study population (adjusted HR 1.74 with 95% CI 1.23-2.46 for each unit of increase in CHA2DS2-VASc score, and HR of 5.57 with 95% CI 1.88-16.49 for CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 6), prior ischemic strokes/transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) were non-inferior in both univariate and multivariate analyses (adjusted HR 8.65 with 95% CI 2.82-26.49). The ROC AUC was larger for the prior ischemic stroke/TIA than for CHA2DS2-VASc. Furthermore, the CHA2DS2-VASc score did not predict future ischemic stroke risks in study participants who did not previously experience ischemic strokes/TIAs (adjusted HR 1.41, 95% CI: 0.84-2.36). The HAS-BLED score and its components did not have predictive abilities in discriminating bleeding risk in the study population.Conclusions: Previous ischemic strokes are non-inferior for predicting of future ischemic strokes than the complete CHA2DS2-VASc score in MHD patients. CHA2DS2VASc scores are less predictive in MHD patients without histories of CVA/TIA. HAS-BLED scores do not predict major bleeding in MHD patients. These findings should redesign approaches to ischemic stroke risk stratification in MHD patients if future large-scale epidemiological studies confirm them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with atrial fibrillation are associated with a 4-5-fold risk of having a stroke. The most effective treatment for atrial fibrillation is to prevent the formation of blood clots by administering anticoagulant drugs. Warfarin is an anticoagulant drug that has a narrow therapeutic index with side effects of the risk of bleeding; hence it needs supervision in its use. In this study, the HAS-BLED score was used to measure major bleeding risk and as a value representing each risk factor for bleeding. The bleeding risk can be prevented by maintaining a warfarin response in the therapeutic range with an INR (International Normalized Ratio) measurement 2-3. This study was an observational study conducted with retrospective data collection through medical records of patients with a primary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation who received oral warfarin anticoagulant therapy at Harapan Kita National Heart Center in the period of January-December 2017. Using a sample of 40 patients who met the inclusion criteria. According to the data, found that atrial fibrillation patients who received oral warfarin therapy 55% were male patients, while 45% were female patients. Patients with atrial fibrillation who got the most oral warfarin therapy were patients who were over 40 years old with 90% of the total sample, with the highest group in patients aged 50-54 years with 22.5%. The HAS-BLED values arranged from 0-9, the percentage of patients who had HAS-BLED values of 0, 1, 2 respectively at 7.5%, 42.5%, 30%. The HAS-BLED score ≥ 3 showed patients classified as at high risk of bleeding by 20%. The most risk factors based on HAS-BLED score from all study samples were 18 patients with abnormal kidney or 45%. The average INR score in patients at high risk of bleeding showed that 37.5% had an average INR score in the target ratio score of INR 2-3.

Background: Concomitant use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents can increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleed (GIB). Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been proposed to decrease the risk of GIB in patients on combined antithrombotic therapy (CAT). Objective: To describe the current utilization of PPIs in veteran patients on CAT and associated clinical predictors of GIB. Methods: This retrospective study included patients on CAT receiving PPIs, with at least one of the CAT agents initiated between January 1, 2018 and October 30, 2018. Data were extracted from the computerized patient record system. Primary end point included estimating proportion of patients on CAT receiving PPI co‐therapy, describing patient characteristics, and identifying clinical predictors of GIB. Secondary outcomes included reporting GIB events and all‐cause mortality. Additional outcome was to validate the five‐factor risk score (FFRS) for GIB in patients on CAT and compare its overall predictive performance to HAS‐BLED score. Results: This study reports an overall rate of PPI co‐therapy in patients on CAT of 40.9% (484/1181), with only 22.3% of patients on CAT receiving PPI for GIB prophylaxis. There was no difference in the mean follow up duration of PPI users and PPI co‐therapy (264.01 vs 271.92 days; p=0.3761). Current alcohol use (p=0.005), current smokers (p=0.022), chronic kidney disease (p=0.004), peptic ulcer disease (p<0.001), and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug use (p=0.048) were significant predictors of GIB in multivariate analyses of our study cohort. We further provide exploratory validation that use of a simplified FFRS to predict GIB showed a trend towards better overall predictive performance as compared to HAS‐BLED score (C‐statistic: 0.738; 95% CI 0.684–0.787 for FFRS vs C‐statistic: 0.596; 95% CI 0.538–0.653 for HAS‐BLED; p=0.0094). Conclusion: This study reports lower rate of PPI co‐therapy in veteran patients on CAT per currently available guidance. Further we explore utilization of simplified FFRS model to predict GIB in patients on CAT with long‐term PPI co‐therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the feasibility and utility of the AliveCor® handheld ECG device in screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation in high-risk patients attending secondary care clinics. Materials & methods: Patients were recruited from diabetes and vascular outpatient clinics, and the AliveCor device used to store a 30-second ECG recording. Clinical risk stratification systems (CHAD2S2-VASc and HAS-BLED) assessed individual suitability for oral anticoagulation. Results: Atrial fibrillation was detected in 2 of 149 patients (1.3%), with CHA2DS2-VASc-derived annual stroke risk of 4%. Given low bleeding susceptibility (HAS-BLED), oral anticoagulation was strongly indicated. Conclusion: AliveCor technology offers a simple approach to retrieve large volumes of ECG data. A follow-up study with a larger cohort would reinforce the clinical utility of screening this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referring patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) for left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device should be based on bleeding risks, poor anticoagulation compliance, and patient goals. Patient selection should consider overall prognosis and risk of implant procedure. We detail specific clinical scenarios where LAAC could be considered, based on FDA-approved indications. The indications for LAAC are different in Europe. High-risk scenarios in which LAA occlusion may be preferred alone, or in addition to oral anticoagulation use, are reviewed. Ongoing clinical trials and newer device designs will help change the appropriate post-implant drug regimen which will affect patient and device selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the discriminative ability and calibration of the RIETE, Kuijer, and HAS-BLED models for predicting 3-month bleeding risk in patients anticoagulated for venous thromboembolism (VTE)., Methods: External validation study of a prediction model based on a retrospective cohort of patients with VTE seen at the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá (Colombia) between July 2021 and June 2023. The calibration of the scales was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the ratio of observed to expected events (ROE) within each risk category. Discriminatory ability was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of a ROC curve., Results: We analyzed 470 patients (median age 65 years, female sex 59.3%) with a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in most cases (57.4%), 5.7% bleeding events were observed. Regarding calibration, adequate calibration cannot be ruled out given the limited number of events. The discriminatory ability was limited with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.48 (CI 0.37-0.59) for Kuijer Score, 0.58 (CI 0.47-0.70) for HAS-BLED and 0.64 (CI 0.51-0.76) for RIETE., Conclusion: The Kuijer, HAS-BLED, and RIETE models in patients with VTE generally do not adequately estimate the risk of bleeding at three months, with a low ability to discriminate high-risk patients. Cautious interpretation is recommended until further evidence is available., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

For Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), the risk of stroke and major bleeding events was assessed by using the CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, and HAS-BLED scores. The risk factors for embolism and major bleeding under DOAC may be different from current reports. We analyzed the data set of the EXPAND Study to determine the risk factors for events among Japanese NVAF patients in the era of direct oral anticoagulant. Using the data of EXPAND Study, the validity for predictability of the CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, and HAS-BLED scores was identified using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed with the Cox proportional hazard model to determine the independent risk factors for stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding among NVAF patients receiving rivaroxaban. Explanatory variables were selected based on the univariate analysis. A total of 7141 patients (mean age 71.6 ± 9.4 years, women 32.3%, and rivaroxaban 15 mg per day 56.5%) were included. Incidence rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were 1.0%/year and 1.2%/year, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that only history of stroke was associated with stroke/systemic embolism (hazard ratio 3.4, 95% confidence interval 2.5-4.7, p < 0.0001). By contrast, age (1.7, 1.1–2.6, p = 0.0263), creatinine clearance (CrCl) 30–49 mL/min (1.6, 1.2-2.2, p = 0.0011), liver dysfunction (1.7, 1.1–2.8, p = 0.0320), history/disposition of bleeding (1.8, 1.0–3.0, p = 0.0348), and concomitant use of antiplatelet agents (1.6, 1.2–2.3, p = 0.0030) were associated with major bleeding. This sub-analysis showed that some components of the HAS-BLED score were independently associated with major bleeding in Japanese NVAF patients receiving anticoagulation therapy by rivaroxaban. Additionally, CrCl value of 30–49 mL/min was an independent predictor of major bleeding in patients receiving rivaroxaban. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HAS-BLED score was developed for bleeding prediction in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Recently, it was also used in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). This study analyzes the HAS-BLED predictivity for bleedings and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) without AF, and evaluates the utilization of alternative criteria for renal dysfunction. The study population was composed of 704 patients with ACS. Six-hundred and eleven patients completed the follow-up. The HAS-BLED score was calculated both using the original definition of renal dysfunction, both using three alternative eGFR thresholds (< 30, < 60 and ≤ 90 ml/min/1.73 mq). In-hospital and post-discharge bleedings and mortality were recorded, and calibration and discrimination of the various risk models were evaluated using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and the C-statistic. In-hospital bleedings were 4.7% and mortality was 2.7%. Post-discharge bleedings were 3.1% and mortality was 4.4%. Regarding bleeding events and in-hospital mortality, the HAS-BLED original risk model demonstrated a moderate-to-good discriminative performance (C-statistics from 0.65 to 0.76). No significant differences were found in predictive accuracy when applying alternative definitions of renal dysfunction based on eGFR, with the exception of post-discharge mortality, for which HAS-BLED model assuming an eGFR value < 60 ml/min/1.73 mq showed a discriminative performance significantly higher in comparison to the other risk models (C-statistic 0.71 versus 0.64–0.66). In conclusion, in our ACS population, the HAS-BLED risk score showed a fairly good predictive accuracy regarding in-hospital and follow-up bleeding events and in-hospital mortality. The use of renal dysfunction alternative criteria based on eGFR values resulted in out-of hospital mortality predictive accuracy enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hypertension, Abnormal renal/liver function, Stroke, Bleeding history or predisposition, Labile international normalized ratio, Elderly, Drugs/alcohol (HAS-BLED) score has been developed to predict the risk of potential bleeding in anticoagulated patients affected by atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the HAS-BLED score is associated with major bleeding also in patients after cardiac surgery. Prospective, single-center nonrandomized study. Single hospital center. Patients. Standard cardiac operation and analysis of major bleeding events. A total of 1,173 consecutive adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery were recruited. Major bleeding was defined according to the Bleeding Academy Research Consortium classification (3, 4, 5). Bleeding events were classified as early bleeding (within 48 hours after the operation) and late bleeding (after 48 hours and within 90 days, postoperatively). Patients were followed after the discharge for 120 days, through outpatient clinic visits and by phone calls. A total of 29 (2.5%) patients experienced early bleeding events (2.5%), while 34 (2.9%) experienced late bleeding events. Univariate and multivariable analysis did not find that the HAS-BLED score was associated with early bleeding, but it was associated significantly with late bleeding (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.32-2.62, and OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.19-2.35, respectively). The HAS-BLED score is associated with increased risk of major bleeding events after cardiac surgery procedures. This may help to plan the standard anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy in cardiac surgical patients with a higher HAS-BLED score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation is a common condition in the UK that puts patients at a higher risk of stroke if left untreated. Kelly Mulliss and Shona Green explore the reasons why patients may not be being prescribed oral anticoagulants to reduce this risk Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common condition in the older UK population and research states that it puts patients at a higher risk of stroke. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance suggests that patients at risk of stroke should be prescribed an oral anticoagulant (OAC). This article presents the findings of a clinical audit in a general practice and explores methods by which patient risk can be assessed. The authors offer suggestions as to why patients may not be receiving OAC when they are at risk, as well as ways in which health professionals in general practice may effectively implement NICE guidance and reduce the risk of stroke in their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Evidence on antithrombotic therapy use in centenarians diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) is sparse. Our objective was to investigate a possible underprescribing in centenarians relative to younger cohorts of the oldest‐old. We assumed lower AF rates; and, within AF patients, lower use of anticoagulants in those who died as centenarians (aged ≥100 years) than in those who died aged in their 80s (≥80 years) or 90s (≥90 years). Methods: The present study was a quarterly structured cohort study over the 6 years before death using administrative data from German institutionalized and non‐institutionalized insured patients (whole sample n = 1398 and subsample of AF patients n = 401 subclassified according to age‐of‐death groups [≥80, ≥90, ≥100 years]). AF, medication, stroke risk (Congestive heart failure; Hypertension; 2 × Age ≥75 years; Diabetes mellitus; 2 × Stroke; Vascular disease; Age 65–74 years; Sex [female] (CHA2DS2‐VASc)) and risk of major bleeding (Hypertension; Abnormal renal and liver function; Stroke; Bleeding; Labile International Normalized Ratio [omitted in the present analysis]; Elderly; Drugs or alcohol (HAS‐BLED)) were calculated. Generalized estimation equations were used to model the trajectories. Results: Half a year before death (T1), AF rates were higher in patients aged ≥80 years (31.8%) and ≥90 years (30.6%) compared with patients aged ≥100 years (22.4%), whereas there were no significant differences between age groups 6 years before death (T0). Of all AF patients with AF at T1, 26.7% received anticoagulants; 11.2% vitamin K antagonists; 15.7% non‐vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; and 17.5% platelet inhibitors; yet 58.1% received none of these drugs. Centenarians received significantly fewer anticoagulants compared with the other age groups. Prescriptions of anticoagulants were not associated with CHA2DS2‐VASc with and without adjustment for HAS‐BLED. Conclusions: The present findings highlight the need for more appropriate use of anticoagulation therapy in older patients, as well as for new treatment guidelines taking the heterogeneity of very old patients into account. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1634–1640. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important risk factor of stroke and contributes to 20% of strokes in the UK; however, with appropriate intervention, the risk can be reversed. For patients with a diagnosis of non-valvular atrial fibrillation, therapeutic anticoagulation is the treatment of choice. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence AF guidelines recommend that every patient should receive appropriate treatment and a personalised package of care; empowering them to take ownership of their healthcare needs and make informed and educated decisions about their health. However, there are still a significant proportion of patients that are not receiving effective therapeutic treatment. This article explores the current best practice requirements for AF stroke prevention, considering clinical need for diagnosis; individualised risk assessment for appropriate treatment; progress in anticoagulation options; and delivery of a patient-centred package of care in today's practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background While modifiable bleeding risks should be addressed in all patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), use of a bleeding risk score enables clinicians to ‘flag up’ those at risk of bleeding for more regular patient contact reviews. We compared a risk assessment strategy for major bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) based on modifiable bleeding risk factors (referred to as a ‘MBR factors’ score) against established bleeding risk stratification scores (HEMORR 2 HAGES, HAS-BLED, ATRIA, ORBIT). Methods A nationwide cohort study of 40,450 AF patients who received warfarin for stroke prevention was performed. The clinical endpoints included ICH and major bleeding. Bleeding scores were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (areas under the ROC curves [AUCs], or c-index) and the net reclassification index (NRI). Results During a follow up of 4.60 ± 3.62 years, 1581 (3.91%) patients sustained ICH and 6889 (17.03%) patients sustained major bleeding events. All tested bleeding risk scores at baseline were higher in those sustaining major bleeds. When compared to no ICH, patients sustaining ICH had higher baseline HEMORR 2 HAGES (p = 0.003), HAS-BLED (p < 0.001) and MBR factors score (p = 0.013) but not ATRIA and ORBIT scores. When HAS-BLED was compared to other bleeding scores, c-indexes were significantly higher compared to MBR factors (p < 0.001) and ORBIT (p = 0.05) scores for major bleeding. C-indexes for the MBR factors score was significantly lower compared to all other scores (De long test, all p < 0.001). When NRI was performed, HAS-BLED outperformed all other bleeding risk scores for major bleeding (all p < 0.001). C-indexes for ATRIA and ORBIT scores suggested no significant prediction for ICH. Conclusion All contemporary bleeding risk scores had modest predictive value for predicting major bleeding but the best predictive value and NRI was found for the HAS-BLED score. Simply depending on modifiable bleeding risk factors had suboptimal predictive value for the prediction of major bleeding in AF patients, when compared to the HAS-BLED score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To prevent stroke, anticoagulants should be administered after calculation of CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF); nonetheless, these scores are sometimes neglected in clinical settings.Aim: The present study was designed to assess agreement of anticoagulant therapy according to clinicians and CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in Iranian AF patients in Moddares Hospital.Methods: AF patients were diagnosed according to clinical history, clinical examination, and electrocardiogram. Data including the anticoagulant prescription according to clinicians were recorded. CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were then calculated for each patient. Agreement of anticoagulant therapy according to clinicians and CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores was analyzed using Cohen’s kappa coefficient.Results: 97.5% of the patients (n = 117) were appropriately (according CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores) treated with anticoagulants by clinicians, notwithstanding a 2.5% of patients with inappropriate anticoagulant therapy (n = 3). The Cohen’s kappa coefficient was 0.81 (P = 0.0).Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest an almost perfect agreement between anticoagulant therapy according to clinicians and that according to CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in the studied population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is uncertainty whether a focus on modifiable bleeding risk factors offers better prediction of major bleeding than other existing bleeding risk scores.Methods: This study compared a score based on numbers of the modifiable bleeding risk factors recommended in the 2016 European guidelines ("European risk score") versus other published bleeding risk scores that have been derived and validated in atrial fibrillation subjects (HEMORR2HAGES, HAS-BLED, ATRIA, and ORBIT) in a large hospital-based cohort of Chinese inpatients with atrial fibrillation.Results: The European score had modest predictive ability for major bleeding (c-index 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.56-0.69) and intracranial hemorrhage (0.72, 0.65-0.79) but nonsignificantly (and poorly) predicted extracranial bleeding (0.55, 0.54-0.56; P = .361). The HAS-BLED score was superior to predict bleeding events compared with the European score, with the differences between c-indexes of 0.10-0.12 (Delong test, all P < .05), net reclassification improvement values of 13.0%-34.5% (all P < .05), and integrated discrimination improvement values of 0.7%-1.4% (all P < .05). The European score had similar predictive value to other bleeding risk schemes (HEMORR2HAGES, ATRIA, and ORBIT) for major bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage (all P > .05). Decision curve analysis clearly shows that HAS-BLED had better net benefit of predicting major bleeding compared with the European score.Conclusions: Relying on bleeding risk assessment using modifiable bleeding risk factors alone is an inferior strategy for predicting atrial fibrillation patients for major bleeding. Our observations reaffirm the Asian guideline recommendations with HAS-BLED for bleeding risk assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Dabigatran, as compared with warfarin, was associated with lower rates of stroke and systemic embolism with similar rates of major hemorrhage. But it has a significantly higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). There are limited data on how to prevent GIB from dabigatran and what are the risk factors. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with atrial fibrillation who have ever taken dabigatran for thromboprophylaxis from October 2010 to February 2013. Results: A total of 247 patients were identified. There were 10 (4%) patients who developed GIB (6 (6.5%) in PPI/H2RA users vs 4 (2.6%) in non‐PPI/H2RA users; P = .184). History of GIB within 1 year prior to dabigatran initiation and HAS‐BLED score ≥3 are independent risk factors for GIB, with odds ratio of 25.14 (95% CI, 2.85‐221.47; P < .01) and 5.85 (95% CI, 1.31‐26.15; P = .021), respectively. Conclusion: In this real‐world cohort, PPI/H2RA use was not associated with reduced GIB events. HAS‐BLED score ≥3 and prior history of GIB within 1 year are independent risk factors for GIB among dabigatran users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Trends in the use of antithrombotic drugs in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are largely unknown. We estimated the prevalence of AF in an older population, and examined whether use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs in older AF patients has changed over time. Methods Data from the population-based Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen ( n = 3363, age ≥ 60 years, 64.9% women) were used (2001–2004 and 2007–2010). AF cases were identified through 12-lead electrocardiogram, physician examinations, and patient register records (ICD-10 code I48). We used the CHADS 2 and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores to estimate stroke risk, and an incomplete HAS-BLED score to estimate bleeding risk. Results At baseline (2001–2004), 328 persons (9.8%) were ascertained to have AF. The prevalence of AF increased significantly with age from 2.8% in people aged 60–66 years to 21.2% in those ≥ 90 years, and was more common in men than in women (11.2% vs. 9.0%). Among AF patients with CHADS 2 score ≥ 2 at baseline, 25% were taking anticoagulant drugs and 54% were taking antiplatelet drugs. High bleeding risk was significantly associated with not using anticoagulant drugs in AF patients (multi-adjusted OR = 2.50, p = 0.015). Between 2001–2004 and 2007–2010, use of anticoagulant drugs increased significantly, especially in AF patients with CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score ≥ 2 (23% vs. 33%, p = 0.008) and in those with HAS-BLED score < 3 (32% vs. 53%, p = 0.004). Conclusion AF is common among old people. The use of anticoagulant drugs increased over time in AF patients, yet still two-thirds of those with high stroke risk remained untreated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke compared with the general population. AF-related stroke confers a higher mortality andmorbidity risk, and thus, early detection and assessment for the initiation of effective stroke prevention with oral anticoagulation are crucial. Simple and practical risk assessment tools are essential to facilitate stroke and bleeding risk assessment in busy clinics and wards to aid decision making. At present, the CHA2DS2VASc score is recommended by guidelines as the most simple and practical method of assessing stroke risk in AF patients. Alongside this, the use of the HAS-BLED score aims to identify patients at high risk of bleeding for more regular review and follow-up, and draws attention to potentially reversible bleeding risk factors. The aim of this review article is to summarize the current risk scores available for both stroke and bleeding in AF patients, and the recommendations for their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Predictive value of the Hypertension, Abnormal renal/liver function, Stroke, Bleeding history or predisposition, Labile international normalized ratio, Elderly, Drugs or alcohol use (HAS-BLED) score for clinical outcomes has been investigated in patients with and without atrial fibrillation. Many factors in the HAS-BLED model have been reported to be prognostic predictors in patients with post-myocardial infarction (MI). However, few studies have investigated the predictive value of HAS-BLED score on long-term survival in patients with post-MI. Methods A total of 617 patients with non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI) without atrial fibrillation were enrolled. The Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI), Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE), Can Rapid Risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early implementation of the ACC/AHA guidelines (CRUSADE), and HAS-BLED risk scores were calculated for each patient. Results The C -statistics of TIMI, GRACE, CRUSADE, and HAS-BLED scores for 3-year survival were 0.658, 0.749, 0.756, and 0.765, respectively. For 3-year survival prediction, GRACE, CRUSADE, and HAS-BLED scores, respectively demonstrated superior performance than TIMI score and there was no significant difference between these three scores (GRACE vs. TIMI: z = 1.615, p = 0.027; CRUSADE vs. TIMI: z = 1.371, p = 0.043; HAS-BLED vs. TIMI: z = 1.899, p = 0.014; CRUSADE vs. GRACE: z = 0.078, p = 0.234; HAS-BLED vs. GRACE: z = 0.435, p = 0.166; HAS-BLED vs. CRUSADE: z = 0.353, p = 0.181). Multivariate analysis showed left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, old age, stroke history, bleeding history, and abnormal renal and liver function were independent predictors for 3-year mortality. Conclusions HAS-BLED scoring system is similar to the GRACE and CRUSADE systems but better than TIMI system to predict long-term survival outcomes in patients with NSTEMI without atrial fibrillation. However, HAS-BLED score is easier to calculate than GRACE and CRUSADE scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major bleeding in the treatment of atrial fibrillation is closely associated with an increased risk of death and major adverse outcomes in both the short and long term, but all bleeding events are associated with a reduced quality of life. Bleeding events are also known to reduce medication adherence. In this sense, bleeding risk scores are important tools to help predict major bleeding. However, it is not clear which scoring system is superior., Aim: In this study, our aim was to compare bleeding risk scores and to examine the factors associated with bleeding in patients with major bleeding while using vitamin K antagonists., Methods: In this retrospective and single-center study, scoring, laboratory and demographic data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 statistical program., Results: The mean age of a total of 1434 patients included in our study was 68.2 ± 11.3 years, range was 39-93 years and 769 (53.6%) of these patients were male. Of 588 patients with major bleeding, 93 (15.8%) had intracranial hemorrhage. Logistic regression analysis comparing the scoring systems among themselves revealed that the GARFIELD-AF scoring system had a predictive effect on major bleeding independent of the effect of other scoring systems (OR: 1.532, 95% CI 1.348-1.741, p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for GARFIELD-AF was 0.690 (0.662-0.718) as a result of the ROC analysis considering the best cut-off point of 3.2% calculated for 2 years. AUC 0.659 (0.630-0.687) for HAS-BLED, AUC 0.636 (0.606-0.665) for ORBIT and AUC 0.611 (0.5810.642) for ATRIA. When we compare the patient group with the control group, it can be said that intracranial hemorrhage occurred independently of INR and TTR values, unlike in the major bleeding group (p:0.129, p:0.545)., Conclusion: In patients using vitamin K antagonists for atrial fibrillation, the GARFIELD-AF risk score was found to be superior to important bleeding risk scores such as HAS-BLED, ORBIT and ATRIA in terms of predicting major bleeding. It is an important result that intracranial hemorrhages, which have a special place among major hemorrhages, were independent of INR and TTR levels. It is noteworthy that 8.2% of patients with major bleeding had a history of minor bleeding in the last year., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)