In atrial fibrillation stroke risk scoring, what is the threshold score for full anticoagulation?

• A. 0
• B. 1
• C. 3 or more
• D. 2 or more

Answer: (D)

Strokes risk scoring in atrial fibrillation is used to decide who should receive anticoagulation. Each risk factor adds a point, so the total score reflects how high a patient’s annual stroke risk is. When the total reaches two or more, anticoagulation is recommended because the benefit of preventing stroke generally outweighs the bleeding risk of therapy. This threshold integrates major factors like prior stroke/TIA (which adds substantial risk) and age, while other factors add smaller increments.

In practice, a zero score typically means no anticoagulation, a single risk factor (score of one) is a case-by-case decision, and a score of two or more strongly supports full anticoagulation. Note that some guidelines adjust for female sex within the score, but the typical takeaway for a straightforward threshold is two or more.