Seven risk factors predict which stroke patients are at risk of experiencing a second stroke, according to recent research out of San Jose, Calif.-based Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine.
The researchers — led by Santa Clara Valley internist Calvin Kwong, MD, and Stanford biomedical informatics graduate student Albee Ling — analyzed EHR data from more than 9,000 stroke patients. With this information, the researchers determined the clinical precursors of patients who went on to experience atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that often leads to a second stroke.
Based on their analysis, the researchers published an algorithm for scoring a patient's risk of experiencing atrial fibrillation in Cardiology. The algorithm focuses on a set of seven risk factors: age, obesity, congestive heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and disease of the heart valves.
The researchers said they hope identifying stroke patients at risk for atrial fibrillation will help to inform physicians' treatment decisions, such as whether a patient needs to be monitored after hospitalization. "The scoring system we developed is simple to use and the results could help physicians tailor treatment to individual patients," Ms. Ling said.