Inclusion criteria | 1. Age ≥18 years. |
2. Acute ischaemic stroke (diagnosed according to the AHA/ASA statement26) that can be randomised within 48 hours of symptom onset. | |
3. Neurological deficit: 4≤NIHSS≤10. | |
4. First-ever stroke or recurrent stroke without obvious neurological deficit (mRS≤1). | |
5. Signed informed consent by the patient or legally authorised representatives. | |
Exclusion criteria | 1. Intracranial haemorrhage and haemorrhagic cerebral infarction. |
2. Thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke. | |
3. Allergy to clopidogrel and/or aspirin. | |
4. Severe systemic disease (such as severe infection, severe hepatic and renal dysfunction). | |
5. Clear indication for anticoagulation (cardiac source of embolism, atrial fibrillation, mechanical cardiac valves, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism). | |
6. History of intracranial haemorrhage. | |
7. Planned treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to affect platelet function. | |
8. Anticoagulation within 10 days. | |
9. Gastrointestinal bleed or major surgery within 3 months. | |
10. Planned or likely revascularisation (any angioplasty or vascular surgery) within the next 3 months. | |
11. Planned surgery or intervention to stop antiplatelet therapy. | |
12. Ischaemic stroke induced by angiography or surgery. | |
13. Pregnancy or childbirth within the previous 4 weeks. | |
14. Patients who have been treated with any other investigational drug within 3 months of enrolment. | |
15. Severe non-cardiovascular comorbidity with life expectancy <3 months. |
AHA, American Heart Association; ASA, American Stroke Association; mRS, modified Rankin Scale; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale.