Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41758561›Full record

ArticleEuropean stroke journal2026

Early versus delayed DOAC after ischaemic stroke in atrial fibrillation: 1-year outcomes in the TIMING study and in concurrent practice.

Oskar Fasth, Jonas Oldgren, Tatevik Ghukasyan Lakic, Ziad Hijazi, Bo Norrving, Per Wester, Signild Åsberg

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in European stroke journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Oskar FasthDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1210-4037
Jonas OldgrenDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-9969-3921
Tatevik Ghukasyan LakicUppsala Clinical Research Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1289-8351
Ziad HijaziDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7420-743X
Bo NorrvingDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-8024-5096
Per WesterDepartment of Public Health and Clinical Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0394-5096
Signild ÅsbergDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-8693-1014

Funding

Swedish Research Council 201500881
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA recent meta-analysis, including the TIMING study, found favourable short-term outcomes after early initiation of a direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC), as compared to delayed initiation, following acute ischaemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. We aimed to investigate 1-year outcomes after early vs delayed DOAC initiation in the TIMING study population and a concurrent observational cohort. PATIENTS AND

methodsIn TIMING, adults with atrial fibrillation were randomised to initiation of DOAC either within 4 days or at 5-10 days after acute ischaemic stroke. The non-randomised cohort comprised patients with acute ischaemic stroke and atrial fibrillation, observed in the Swedish Stroke Register concurrently with the TIMING study and initiating DOAC within 4 or 5-10 days, respectively. Outcomes in both populations were acute ischaemic stroke, symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage or death, as a composite and individually, analysed using Cox regression models, with adjustment for risk factors in the observational cohort.

resultsIn the TIMING population (n = 888), the composite outcome at 365 days occurred in 64/450 patients (14.2%) with early DOAC initiation and 66/438 (15.1%) with delayed, unadjusted hazard ratio 0.92 (95% CI, 0.66-1.30). In the observational cohort (n = 8951), the composite outcome at 365 days occurred in 1227/6671 (18.4%) patients initiating DOAC early and 511/2280 (22.4%) in the delayed group, adjusted hazard ratio 0.80 (0.69-0.91). DISCUSSION: At 1-year follow-up, early initiation of DOAC remained safe and effective with no increase in symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. The results support early DOAC initiation in patients with acute ischaemic stroke and atrial fibrillation.

Indexed as

AnticoagulantsAtrial FibrillationBrain IschemiaFactor Xa InhibitorsIschemic StrokeStrokeAdministration, OralAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedObservational Studies as TopicPyrazolesRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAnticoagulantsFactor Xa InhibitorsPyrazolesanticoagulantsantithrombinsapixabanatrial fibrillationdabigatranedoxabanembolic strokeischaemic strokerivaroxaban

Identifiers

PMID41758561
PMCPMC12947707

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.