Adherence to the 4S-AF Scheme in the Balkan region: Insights from the BALKAN-AF survey

Abstract

Background: The 4S-AF scheme includes stroke risk, symptoms, severity of burden, and substrate severity domain.

Aim: We aimed to assess the adherence to the 4S-AF scheme in patients classified according to stroke risk in post hoc analysis of the BALKAN-AF dataset.

Methods: A 14-week prospective enrolment of consecutive patients with electrocardiographically documented atrial fibrillation (AF) was performed in seven Balkan countries from 2014 to 2015.

Results: Low stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc score, 0 in males or 1 in females) was present in 162 (6.0%) patients. 2 099 (77.4%) patients had CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥3 in females or ≥2 in males (high stroke risk), and 613 (22.6%) had CHA2DS2-VASc score <3 in females or <2 in males. Seventy-five (46.3%) patients with low stroke risk and 1555 (74.1%) patients with high stroke risk were prescribed oral anticoagulants (OAC). Two thousand six hundred and seventy-seven (98.6%) had data on European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) class. Among 2099 patients with high stroke risk, 703 (33.4%) had EHRA class ≥3. Two hundred and seven (29.4%) patients with EHRA class ≥3 and high stroke risk were offered rhythm control; 620 (55.2%) of individuals with first-diagnosed or paroxysmal AF with high stroke risk were offered rhythm control. Two or more comorbidities occurred in 1927 (91.8%) patients with high stroke risk.

Conclusions: OAC overuse was observed in patients with low stroke risk, whilst OAC underuse was evident in those with high risk of stroke. The percentage of highly symptomatic patients with high risk of stroke who were offered a rhythm control strategy was low.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; oral anticoagulants; rhythm control; risk of stroke.