Clinical Focus ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (2): 116-121.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-583X.2026.02.003

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Safety of an early initiation of anticoagulant therapy for atrial fibrillation associated acute cerebral infarction

Zhang Yanping, Li Ke(), Zhang Zhuang   

  1. Department of Neurology, Nanyang First People's Hospital, Nanyang 473010, China
  • Received:2025-09-11 Online:2026-02-20 Published:2026-03-05
  • Contact: Li Ke, Email: lik.1@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the potential of an early initiation of anticoagulation therapy versus conventional initiation in effectively reducing the risk of stroke recurrence and improving functional prognosis without increasing the bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation-related acute cerebral infarction. Methods A total of 80 patients with atrial fibrillation-related acute cerebral infarction admitted within 24 hours of onset were prospectively allocated. Patients were randomly assigned to the early group (anticoagulation initiated on day 3) and conventional group (initiated on day 6), with 40 cases in each group. The 90-day recurrence rate of cerebral infarction, severe bleeding events (intracranial/gastrointestinal hemorrhage), functional independence (the modified Rankin Scale [mRS]≤2), and adverse event incidence were observed. Results Patients in the early group demonstrated a significantly lower 90-day recurrence rate of cerebral infarction than the conventional group (15.0% vs 50.0%, P<0.01). Additionally, the proportion of patients achieving functional independence (mRS≤2) was significantly higher in the early groupthan the conventional group (75.0% vs 50.0%, P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in the incidence of major bleeding events between the two groups (5.0% vs 7.5%, P>0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated that patients with a high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc≥4) benefited more from an early anticoagulation therapy. Conclusion An early initiation of anticoagulation therapy (day 3) in patients with atrial fibrillation-related acute cerebral infarction demonstrated significant clinical benefits, including reduced risk of stroke recurrence and improved functional recovery, without significantly increased the bleeding risk.

Key words: stroke, atrial fibrillation, early anticoagulation therapy, functional independence, prevention of recurrence, safety evaluation

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