Why the study?
Identifying risk factors in patients with AF is challenging due to high comorbidity burden, prompting the need to summarize current evidence on risk stratification scores.
How do current and novel risk stratification scores compare in predicting outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation?
How do current and novel risk stratification scores compare in predicting outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation?
This review highlights the evolution of AF risk stratification from traditional clinical scores to novel biomarker and imaging-based tools, noting a gap in guideline adoption.
Decade-long guideline lag on AF risk models cautions against sole reliance on traditional scores; leaves open whether biomarker tools merit adoption.
BACKGROUND: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) has become a major global health concern and is associated with an increased risk of poor outcomes. Identifying risk factors in patients with AF can be challenging, given the high burden of comorbidities in these patients. Risk stratification schemes appear to facilitate accurate prediction of outcomes and assist therapeutic management decisions. OBJECTIVE: To summarize current evidence on risk stratification scores for patients with AF. RESULTS: Traditional risk models rely heavily on demographics and comorbidities, while newer tools have been gradually focusing on novel biomarkers and diagnostic imaging to facilitate more personalized risk assessment. Several studies have been conducted to compare existing risk schemes and identify specific patient populations in which the prognostic ability of each scheme excels. However, current guidelines do not appear to encourage the implementation of risk models in clinical practice, as they have not incorporated new ones in their recommendations for the management of patients with AF for almost a decade. CONCLUSION: Further work is warranted to analyze new reliable risk stratification schemes and optimally implement them into routine clinical life.
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Samaras et al. (2020) conducted a review in Atrial Fibrillation. Risk stratification scores was evaluated.
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