Association between RCHADS-VASc score and three-vessel coronary artery disease in a large population at high cardiovascular risk.

Coronary artery disease (CAD), particularly three-vessel coronary disease (3VD), is the main cause of death in industrialized countries. Chronic kidney disease is an independent risk factor for CAD. The CHADS-VASc score shows a good ability to predict CV events in high-risk population independently from atrial fibrillation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the RCHADS-VASc score and 3VD in a population of patients at high cardiovascular risk. Monocentric prospective study evaluated 1017 patients undergoing coronary angiography. The RCHADS-VASc score was obtained by adding 2 points to the CHADS-VASc score in case of eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m. Coronary lesions causing ≥ 50% reduction of a major epicardial vessel diameter were considered significant. Patients were grouped based on RCHADS-VASc tertiles and according to the severity of CAD: 3VD vs No-3VD. The 3VD group showed significantly higher RCHADS-VASc score than the No-3VD group (4.20 ± 2.18 vs 3.36 ± 2.06, p < 0.001). The risk of 3VD increased by 21% for every 1-point increase in the score (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.13-1.28, p < 0.001). The prevalence of 3VD was higher among patients belonging to higher tertiles of RCHADS-VASc (17.2% vs 26.7% vs 33.6% for first, second, and third tertile respectively, p < 0.001) with a risk more than doubled for the third tertile compared to the first one (OR 2.45; 95% CI 1.71-3.49, p < 0.001). The RCHADS-VASc score is independently associated with 3VD in patients at high cardiovascular risk. The score could be considered a useful tool for clinicians to identify patients who are at high risk of 3VD.