Abstract
Atrial fibrillation is associates with elevated risk of stroke. The simplest stroke risk assessment schemes are CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc score. Aspirin and oral anticoagulants are recommended for stroke prevention in such patients.
 The aim of this study was to assess status of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores in Iraqi atrial fibrillation patients and to report current status of stroke prevention in these patients with either warfarin or aspirin in relation to these scores.
 This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out at Tikrit, Samarra, Sharqat, Baquba, and AL-Numaan hospitals from July 2017 to October 2017. CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were manually calculated.
 One hundred patients were participated, 48 were men and 52 were women. Their mean age was 62.56 ± 14.36 years. Permanent type of atrial fibrillation, palpitation, and hypertension were the most diagnosed type, symptom and comorbidity recorded in this study respectively. Average scores of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc were 2.34 ± 1.39 and 4.1 ± 2.05, respectively. These scores were not calculated for these patients in hospital setting. Aspirin and warfarin were prescribed regardless to these scores.
 The result of this study indicated that CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were often neglected in hospitals; and aspirin is still widely used as a strategy to minimize the risk of stroke.
 Keywords: Atrial fibrillation, CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, aspirin, warfarin.
Highlights
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of supraventricular arrhythmia that is characterized by uncoordinated activation in trial electricity with irregular and often fast ventricular response triggering hemodynamic compromise [1]
The result of this study indicated that CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were often neglected in hospitals; and aspirin is still widely used as a strategy to minimize the risk of stroke
Permanent type of AF was reported in 32 patients followed by paroxysmal type that was reported in 27 patients, while persistent type was occurred in 26 patients
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of supraventricular arrhythmia that is characterized by uncoordinated activation in trial electricity with irregular and often fast ventricular response triggering hemodynamic compromise [1]. Atrial fibrillation is related with expanded rates of death, thromboembolic events, heart failure and hospitalizations, reduced quality of life, reduced exercise capacity, and left ventricular dysfunction [3]. It is associated with a five-fold elevated stroke risk, besides it is the most common type of arrhythmia [2,4,5]. CHADS2 [cardiac failure, hypertension, age (>75 years), diabetes, stroke (doubled)] risk index, which is a point system, was developed by the AF Investigators and Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (SPAF) Investigators criteria [7]. A newly adjusted scheme that was recommended by European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is CHA2DS2-VASc [cardiac failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 (doubled), diabetes, stroke (doubled), vascular disease, age 65–74, and sex category (female)], that is a point system [8]
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Schedule a callMore From: Iraqi Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences ( P-ISSN: 1683 - 3597 , E-ISSN : 2521 - 3512)
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