Evaluation of the Relationship Between HATCH Score and SYNTAX Score in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography

Background and Aim: Originally developed to predict the progression of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the hypertension (1 point), age >75 years (1 point), transient ischemic attack or stroke (2 points), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1 point), heart failure (2 points) (HATCH) score has recently been explored as a broader prognostic tool in cardiovascular medicine.This study investigates the relationship between the HATCH score and the Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score, a well-established measure of coronary artery disease (CAD) complexity, among patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Materials and Methods:We retrospectively analyzed data from 235 patients who underwent coronary angiography for suspected CAD between January 2023 and May 2024.Patients were categorized into two groups based on their SYNTAX scores: low (22) and intermediate-high (>22).Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters-including the HATCH score-were compared between groups.Univariate analyses and Firth's penalized logistic regression were performed to identify independent predictors of higher SYNTAX scores.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the discriminative performance of the HATCH score.Results: Patients with intermediate-high SYNTAX scores were significantly older, were more likely to have hypertension, heart failure, prior percutaneous coronary intervention, and renal dysfunction, and had lower left ventricular ejection fraction than those with low SYNTAX scores.Among all evaluated variables, the HATCH score emerged as the strongest independent predictor of intermediate-high coronary complexity [odds ratio: 3.815; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.656-4.233;P < 0.001].ROC analysis demonstrated good discriminative capacity, with an area under the curve of 0.805 (95% CI: 0.740-0.870;P < 0.001).A HATCH score cut-off of 2 yielded a specificity of 87% and a sensitivity of 72%. Conclusion:The HATCH score, based on accessible clinical parameters, is independently associated with CAD complexity in CCS patients.Its simplicity and high specificity make it a useful tool for early risk stratification in clinical practice.Prospective multicenter studies are needed to validate its prognostic value and clinical utility.