HAS-BLED and CHA2DS2-VASc Scores as Predictors of Bleeding and Thrombotic Risk After Continuous-Flow Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

•Retrospective analysis of 173 consecutive patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.•The HAS-BLED score calculated at the time of LVAD implantation predicted bleeding events.•The CHA2DS2-VASc score calculated at the time of LVAD implantation predicted thromboembolic events.•We speculate that these scores might be combined in a way to risk-stratify patients at the time of LVAD implantation.

BackgroundHAS-BLED and CHA2DS2-VASc scores predict bleeding in patients on anticoagulation and thromboembolic (TE) risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, respectively. We hypothesized that these scores would be predictive of bleeding and TE complications following continuous-flow ventricular assist device (CF-VAD) implantation.Methods and ResultsBaseline HAS-BLED and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were retrospectively determined for 173 consecutive patients who underwent HeartMate II CF-VAD implantation at a single center from 2005 to 2011. Forty-three patients had bleeding (24.9%) and 22 had TE (12.7%) events over a 290 patient-year follow-up period. The mean ± SD HAS-BLED scores were 2.7 ± 1.0 and 1.9 ± 1.1 (P < .0001) in patients with and without bleeding, respectively. The CHA2DS2-VASc scores were 3.6 ± 1.4 and 2.9 ± 1.5 (P = .03) in patients with and without TE events, respectively. A HAS-BLED score of ≥3 was associated with a significantly higher risk of bleeding events compared with a score of <3 (42% vs 15%, respectively; hazard ratio [HR] 3.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.82-6.32; P < .001). A CHA2DS2-VASc score of ≥3 was associated with a higher risk of TE events compared with a score of <3 (18% vs 4%, respectively; HR 4.02, 95% CI 1.19-13.6; P = .025).ConclusionsBaseline HAS-BLED and CHA2DS2-VASc scores of ≥3 conferred significantly higher risks of bleeding and TE, respectively, following HeartMate II implantation.