A new index to predict quality of anticoagulation control in patients on vitamin K antagonists: the DAFNE score

Aim: To derive a new clinical score to improve the prediction of those at risk of poor International Normalized Ratio control among patients with atrial fibrillation taking vitamin K antagonists. Materials & methods: The score was calculated using PAULA database and validated in the FANTASIIA population. Results: The DAFNE score (cardiovascular Disease, concomitant treatment with Amiodarone, Food/dietary transgression and taking ≥7 pills daily, fEemale sex) score was related to a higher probability of poor International Normalized Ratio control. C-indexes were 0.611 and 0.576 (De Long test, p = 0.007) for the DAFNE and SAMe-TT2R2 scores, respectively. Conclusion: The DAFNE score is a new clinical score which may potentially help determine those patients with atrial fibrillation who are at high risk of poor anticoagulation control with vitamin K antagonists. Patients with atrial fibrillation are often treated with a group of drugs called vitamin K antagonists. However, taking these drugs can result in poor anticoagulation control in certain patients. This paper aims to find a new way to predict which patients might have a higher risk of poor anticoagulation control. The authors suggest that the DAFNE score, which is shown to be bigger if there is a greater chance of poor anticoagulation control, could be used to help predict patients who might be at risk.