[Comment] Timing of anticoagulation after ischaemic stroke and atrial fibrillation: better swift than sorry

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation accounts for 13–26% of acute ischaemic strokes.1 Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are highly effective in reducing the risk of ischaemic stroke with significantly lower rates of intracranial haemorrhage compared with vitamin K antagonists.2 Once an ischaemic stroke has occurred, the timing of resuming anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation has long been questioned; the initiation of such therapies has traditionally been delayed due to concern for haemorrhagic transformation of ischaemic stroke territory as well as intra-cranial and extra-cranial bleeding complications.