Prevalenza e Associazione di Aterosclerosi con Infarto Cerebrale Ischemico in Pazienti con Fibrillazione Atriale sottoposti a Anticoagulazione.

BACKGROUND: Approximately, 20% of ischemic strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation occur despite anticoagulation. These breakthrough strokes are associated with a high risk of recurrence, but underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In particular, the association between carotid atherosclerosis and breakthrough strokes has not been sufficiently assessed. METHODS: We analyzed data from the prospective, multicenter, RASUNOA-Prime cohort study (Registry of Acute Stroke Under Novel Oral Anticoagulants-Prime), conducted at 46 German stroke centers between 2015 and 2020. Eligible patients had atrial fibrillation and an ischemic stroke within 24 hours before admission. Of 2737 pa