Refining Clinical Risk Stratification for Predicting Stroke and Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation Using a Novel Risk Factor-Based Approach.

The article presents a study that aims to refine the 2006 Birmingham/National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) risk stratification schema for the prediction of stroke and thromboembolism (TE) in atrial fibrillation (AF). The schema was improved into a risk-factor-based approach by reclassification of relevant risk factors. The study reveals that the refined schema can improve the stroke risk stratification approach in AF patients as its predictive value for TE has improved.