title: Is an Oral Anticoagulant Necessary for Young Atrial Fibrillation Patients With a CHA2DS2-VASc Score of 1 (Men) or 2 (Women)?
abstract: Recent studies demonstrated that oral anticoagulants (OACs) should be considered for patients with atrial fibrillation and 1 risk factor in addition to sex. Because age is an important determinant of ischemic stroke, the strategy for stroke prevention may be different for these patients in different age strata. The aim of this study was to investigate whether OACs should be considered for patients aged 20 to 49 years with atrial fibrillation and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 (men) or 2 (women).
  
  
  
  Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 7374 male patients with atrial fibrillation and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 and 4461 female patients with atrial fibrillation and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2 and all without antithrombotic therapies were identified and stratified into 3 groups by age. The threshold for the initiation of OACs for stroke prevention was set at a stroke rate of 1.7% per year for warfarin and 0.9% per year for non-vitamin K antagonist OACs. Among male patients aged 20 to 49 years with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, the risk of ischemic stroke was 1.30% per year and ranged from 0.94% per year for those with hypertension to 1.71% for those with congestive heart failure. Among female patients aged 20 to 49 years with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2, the risk of ischemic stroke was 1.40% per year and ranged from 1.11% per year for those with hypertension to 1.67% for those with congestive heart failure.
  
  
  
  For atrial fibrillation patients aged 20 to 49 years with 1 risk factor in addition to sex, non-vitamin K antagonist OACs should be considered for stroke prevention to minimize the risk of a potentially fatal or disabling event.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tze-Fan
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Public Health and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ta-Chuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tuan
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yenn-Jiang
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jo-Nan
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fa-Po
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Shiang
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Meng
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzeng-Ji
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: University of Birmingham Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gregory Y H
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Lip
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan epsachen@ms41.hinet.net.
authors.forename: Shih-Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants
keywords: CHA2DS2‐VASc score; age; atrial fibrillation; ischemic stroke; non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants