Document is current

Article History

Received: 17 July 2025

Accepted: 22 September 2025

First Online: 2 October 2025

Declarations

:

: Eugen Trinka is an Editorial Board member of Neurology and Therapy. Eugen Trinka was not involved in the selection of peer reviewers for the manuscript nor any of the subsequent editorial decisions. Kai Michael Schubert, Johan Zelano, David J. Seiffge, Francesco Brigo, Nishant R. Mishra, Emilio Russo, and Marian Galovic declare no conflicts of interest related to this work.

: As this study involves a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data, including aggregate-level and potentially de-identified IPD, formal ethical approval is not required. No new data will be collected directly from participants. For the planned IPD meta-analysis, only anonymized data will be used, and all contributing centers will be asked to confirm that local data governance and ethical requirements have been met prior to data sharing. The research team will adhere to all relevant data protection standards and ethical guidelines for secondary data analysis. The IPD-MA results will be reported as a separate companion publication and used to refine the conclusions of the aggregate-data systematic review.

: The findings of this systematic review will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and presentation at relevant international neurology, cardiology, and pharmacology conferences. Results will be communicated to clinical stakeholders, including neurologists, cardiologists, and general practitioners, to inform safer prescribing practices in patients requiring both DOAC and ASM therapy. The conclusions may also serve to support future updates to clinical guidelines and highlight key evidence gaps requiring further prospective or interventional research.