New Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Stroke Risk Factors Reveal That More Should Be on Coumadin or Warfarin, Especially Women

This very important story may change how afib patients and their doctors decide if they should be on anticoagulant medications (blood thinners), such as Coumadin or warfarin.

The CHADS₂ scoring system is how doctors now decide who should be on Coumadin or warfarin to avoid strokes, but a newly-published study adds new stroke risk factors that are not considered in CHADS₂.

These new risk factors, including being female, having heart or vascular disease, and being age 65 or greater (CHADS₂ uses 75 or greater), have been incorporated in a scoring system called the “2009 Birmingham Schema” (CHA₂DS₂-VASc). This new approach enhances the existing CHADS₂ system, giving two points to definitive stroke risk factors and one point to combination stroke risk factors.

To learn more, read:  New Stroke Risk Factors for Those with Atrial Fibrillation: Female Gender, Heart Disease, and Age