Andre Chen has announced beta testing of a new freeware Palm OS application, STAT A-Fib Stroke Risk, implementing a risk score for predicting stroke or death in individuals with new-onset atrial fibrillation in the community. This is based on an article in the August JAMA published by The Framingham Heart Study.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common clinical problem affecting an estimated 2.3 million adults in the US. Nearly 4% of persons aged 60 or older have AF. Prevention of ischemic stroke presents a major challenge as determining which patients with AF should receive oral anticoagulation is always a critical question. Often, patients with clear indications for anticoagulation do not receive it.
Considering that accurate risk stratification is essential to identify patients who have the best chance of benefit from oral anticoagulant therapy, clinicians should find the Framingham risk scoring system a useful aid for clinical decisionmaking.
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