title: CHADS(2) and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc scores in the prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate whether CHADS(2) and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc scores are useful for risk stratification in patients after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  AF is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, limited data are available on the predictors of adverse events in patients with AF after catheter ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 565 patients with AF who underwent catheter ablation were enrolled in the study. The clinical endpoint was occurrence of thromboembolic events (ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral embolism, or pulmonary embolisms) or death during follow-up after catheter ablation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a follow-up of 39.2 ± 22.6 months, 27 patients (4.8%) experienced adverse events. Both the CHADS(2) and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc scores were useful predictors of events in separate multivariate models. The areas under the receiver-operator characteristic curves based on the CHADS(2) and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc scores in predicting events were 0.785 and 0.830, respectively. Although the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.116), the CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score could be used to further stratify the patients with CHADS(2) scores of 0 or 1 into 2 groups with different event rates (7.1% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.003) at a cutoff value of 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CHADS(2) and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc scores are useful predictors of adverse events after catheter ablation of AF.
authors: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Tze-Fan
authors: TF
authors: Chao
authors: Yenn-Jiang
authors: YJ
authors: Lin
authors: Hsuan-Ming
authors: HM
authors: Tsao
authors: Chin-Feng
authors: CF
authors: Tsai
authors: Wei-Shiang
authors: WS
authors: Lin
authors: Shih-Lin
authors: SL
authors: Chang
authors: Li-Wei
authors: LW
authors: Lo
authors: Yu-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Hu
authors: Ta-Chuan
authors: TC
authors: Tuan
authors: Kazuyoshi
authors: K
authors: Suenari
authors: Cheng-Hung
authors: CH
authors: Li
authors: Beny
authors: B
authors: Hartono
authors: Hung-Yu
authors: HY
authors: Chang
authors: Kibos
authors: K
authors: Ambrose
authors: Tsu-Juey
authors: TJ
authors: Wu
authors: Shih-Ann
authors: SA
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology