Intracerebral haemorrhage risk in microbleed-positive ischaemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation: Preliminary meta-analysis of cohorts and anticoagulation decision schema

We have shown that the presence of CMBs in cohorts of ischaemic stroke patients, most with AF on warfarin, is associated with a 4-fold increase in subsequent ICH (but not ischaemic stroke) risk (Class III evidence). These pooled estimates are useful for future trials design. We propose a simple data-driven anticoagulation schema which awaits validation and refinement as new prospective data are accumulated.