Relationship between the CHA2DS2-VASc score and atrial fibrillation in patients hospitalised due to heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) has become an epidemic. A similar situation is also observed for atrial fibrillation (AF). The CHA2DS2-VASc score is one of the most useful tools for thromboembolic risk assessment.

Clinical and laboratory determinants of low serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D during escalation of pharmacotherapy in heart failure patients.

Introduction: The activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system is a main element of the pathophysiology of chronic heart failure (CHF), determining its symptoms and prognosis. Vitamin D is an RAA inhibitor, and its deficiency frequently accompanies CHF. The factors determining the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in CHF are not well understood, although an association has been suggested between the deficiency and the advancement of CHF.