title: CHADS₂, CHA₂S₂DS₂-VASc, and long-term stroke outcome in patients without atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores are used to assess stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated whether these scores are associated with stroke outcome in non-AF stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with acute first-ever ischemic stroke but without AF were classified into subgroups according to prestroke CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores and followed up for 5 years. The end points were death, stroke recurrence, and a composite of major cardiovascular events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 1,756 patients (aged 67.2 ± 12.3 years, 68.2% males), there were 258 (14.7%), 617 (35.3%), and 878 (50.0%) patients with low, intermediate, and high CHADS2 score, respectively. The corresponding figures for CHA2DS2-VASc subgroups were 110 (6.3%), 255 (14.5%), and 1,391 (79.2%). There were significant differences between CHADS2 subgroups in 5-year mortality (log-rank test = 74.5, p < 0.0001), stroke recurrence (log-rank test = 12.3, p = 0.002), and cardiovascular events (log-rank test = 19.4, p < 0.001). Similarly, there were significant differences between CHA2DS2-VASc subgroups in 5-year mortality (log-rank test = 74.5, p < 0.0001), stroke recurrence (log-rank test = 10.6, p = 0.005), and cardiovascular events (log-rank test = 16.4, p < 0.001). Compared with the low-risk group, patients in intermediate- and high-risk CHADS2 subgroups had higher 5-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.22 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.78-2.77] and 3.66 [95% CI: 2.38-5.62], respectively), stroke recurrence (HR: 1.74 [95% CI: 1.09-2.79] and 1.71 [95% CI: 1.08-2.71], respectively), and cardiovascular events (HR: 1.78 [95% CI: 1.23-2.57] and 1.86 [95% CI: 1.30-2.67], respectively). Compared with the low-risk group, patients in the high-risk CHA2DS2-VASc subgroup also had higher 5-year mortality (HR: 3.56, 95% CI: 1.89-6.70), stroke recurrence (HR: 2.93, 95% CI: 1.30-6.61), and cardiovascular events (HR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.49-4.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prestroke CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores predict long-term stroke outcomes in non-AF patients with acute ischemic stroke. These scores may provide a simple way of stroke prognostic risk stratification among non-AF stroke patients.
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. gntaios@med.uth.gr
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Ntaios
authors: Gregory Y H
authors: GY
authors: Lip
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Makaritsis
authors: Vasileios
authors: V
authors: Papavasileiou
authors: Anastasia
authors: A
authors: Vemmou
authors: Eleni
authors: E
authors: Koroboki
authors: Paraskevi
authors: P
authors: Savvari
authors: Efstathios
authors: E
authors: Manios
authors: Haralampos
authors: H
authors: Milionis
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Vemmos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome