To evaluate if oral anticoagulant therapy change (OAC change) or adding antiplatelet therapy to anticoagulation (AC+AP) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) despite OAC compliance, is associated with lower risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events compared to patients that continued the same anticoagulant regimen.

We reviewed all consecutive patients with AF on OAC that presented with AIS/TIA to our tertiary academic stroke center between 2011-2021. Baseline characteristics, type of index event, antithrombotic therapy before and after index event, subsequent recurrent AIS/TIA or major bleeding events were extracted. Fisher’s exact or Log-rank tests and logistic regression models were used to compare outcomes between OAC unchange vs OAC change, and AC+AP vs AC only groups.

185 patients (mean age 78.3 ± 12 years) were included. 61% were males and 79 (42.7%) had AIS at index event. 17 (9%) had OAC change and 100 (79%) received AP+AC. 39 (21.15%) had recurrent AIS/TIA, and 28 (15.1%) had major bleeding following the index event. No significant difference was observed between OAC unchange versus OAC change groups regarding recurrent AIS/TIA (HR = 0.607, 95% CI: 0.229-1.609, p = 0.316) or major bleeding events (OR = 1.541, 95% CI: 0.391-10.299, p = 0.586). Additionally, no significant difference was observed between AC+AP versus AC groups regarding recurrent AIS/TIA (HR= 0.863, 95% CI: 0.430-1.732, p = 0.679) or major bleeding events (OR= 0.894, 95% CI: 0.377-2.135, p = 0.798).