When you have atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that increases the chance of blood clots and stroke. Also known as AFib, it doesn’t always cause symptoms—but it can still put you at serious risk. That’s where the PHASES score, a clinical tool used to estimate stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation over a 10-year period comes in. It’s not just another number. It’s a practical way for doctors to decide whether you need blood thinners—and which ones make the most sense for your life.
The PHASES score looks at six real-world factors: P hypertension, H age over 75, A heart failure, S stroke or TIA history, E vascular disease, and S sex (female). Each gets a point or half-point. Add them up, and you get a number between 0 and 6. A higher score means a higher chance of stroke. For example, someone with a score of 5 has nearly a 40% risk of stroke in 10 years. That’s not small. It’s why doctors use this score to guide decisions about drugs like warfarin or DOACs. It’s not perfect, but it’s one of the few tools that actually uses data from large, real-world studies—not just lab results.
What makes the PHASES score different from CHA₂DS₂-VASc? It’s built on long-term follow-up data from real patients across multiple countries, not just single-center trials. It’s designed to be used after diagnosis, not just at the first visit. And it’s especially useful when you’re trying to weigh the benefits of anticoagulation against the risk of bleeding. If your PHASES score is low, maybe you don’t need a daily pill. If it’s high, skipping treatment could be dangerous. This isn’t theory. It’s what guides real choices in clinics from Sydney to Toronto.
Below, you’ll find articles that connect directly to how this score affects treatment. You’ll see how medications like anticoagulation are chosen based on these risk levels, how stroke risk changes with age and other conditions, and how tools like the PHASES score help patients and doctors talk through tough decisions. Whether you’re managing AFib yourself or helping someone who is, this collection gives you the facts you need to understand what your score really means—and what to do next.
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