Urs Fischer, Masatoshi Koga, Daniel Strbian, Mattia Branca, Stefanie Abend, Sven Trelle, Maurizio Paciaroni, Götz Thomalla, Patrik Michel, Krassen Nedeltchev, Leo H Bonati, George Ntaios, Thomas Gattringer, Else-Charlotte Sandset, Peter Kelly, Robin Lemmens, P N Sylaja, Diana Aguiar de Sousa, Natan M Bornstein, Zuzana Gdovinova, Takeshi Yoshimoto, Marjaana Tiainen, Helen Thomas, Manju Krishnan, Gek C Shim, Christoph Gumbinger, Jochen Vehoff, Liqun Zhang, Kosuke Matsuzono, Espen Kristoffersen, Philippe Desfontaines, Peter Vanacker, Angelika Alonso, Yusuke Yakushiji, Caterina Kulyk, Dimitri Hemelsoet, Sven Poli, Ana Paiva Nunes, Nicoletta Caracciolo, Peter Slade, Jelle Demeestere, Alexander Salerno, Markus Kneihsl, Timo Kahles, Daria Giudici, Kanta Tanaka, Silja Räty, Rea Hidalgo, David J Werring, Martina Göldlin, Marcel Arnold, Cecilia Ferrari, Seraina Beyeler, Christian Fung, Bruno J Weder, Turgut Tatlisumak, Sabine Fenzl, Beata Rezny-Kasprzak, Arsany Hakim, Georgia Salanti, Claudio Bassetti, Jan Gralla, David J Seiffge, Thomas Horvath, Jesse Dawson
BACKGROUND: The effect of early as compared with later initiation of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in persons with atrial fibrillation who have had an acute ischemic stroke is unclear. METHODS: We performed an investigator-initiated, open-label trial at 103 sites in 15 countries. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to early anticoagulation (within 48 hours after a minor or moderate stroke or on day 6 or 7 after a major stroke) or later anticoagulation (day 3 or 4 after a minor stroke, day 6 or 7 after a moderate stroke, or day 12, 13, or 14 after a major stroke)...
May 24, 2023: New England Journal of Medicine