Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3) Trial
Brief Summary: The goal of this study is to learn if combination antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) is more effective than aspirin alone for the prevention of recurrent stroke and cognitive decline, and if intensive blood pressure control is associated with fewer recurrent strokes and cognitive decline.

On July 21, 2011 the DSMB recommended terminating the anti platelet arm of the study due to an imbalance of overall and major non-CNS hemorrhagic SAE's and total deaths in the investigational anti platelet combination of aspirin + clopidogrel and an interim statistical analysis that demonstrated futility in the investigational anti platelet arm. It was recommended that patients be continued on standard care of aspirin mono therapy until their study close-out visit. Also, recommended the continuation and completion of the plood pressure arm following the protocol.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* acute symptomatic ischemic stroke having relevant lesion on DWI(Diffusion weighted image) MRI 7 days after and 42 days within onset.
* relevant stenosis(more than 50%) or occlusion from MCA(middle cerebral artery)(M1) to distal of ICA(internal carotid artery ) on MR(Magnetic resonance) angiogram or CT angiogram.
* mean systolic blood pressure\>=140mmHg or taking antihypertensive drug on screening.

Exclusion Criteria:

* taking more than 3 antihypertensive drugs and mean systolic blood pressure\>=150mmHg on screening.
* history of recent thrombolysis but stenosis or occlusion remained after thrombolysis.
* evidence of orthostatic hypotension
* suspicious embolic cerebrovascular stenosis
* planned state of cerebrovascular surgery or angioplasty or stent 7 months within screening.
* severe stroke-NIHSS\>=16
* mean systolic blood pressure\>=200mmHg which is not able to control on screening.
* abnormal blood test finding (abnormal LFT(liver function test), anemia, renal insufficiency)
* pregnant or breast-feeding
* severe stroke sequela or medical problem
* suspicious secondary hypertension
* disease causing edema or significant ankle edema on screening.
* severe heart failure which correspond to NYHA (New York Heart Association )heart failure classification class III or IV.
* inappropriate condition determined by investigator
* Patient who do not have FLAIR image on or two months prior to screening.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* History of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), considered clinically stable in the 48 hours prior to inclusion in the study. (they will be classified into a recent stroke \<120 days or chronic when\> 120 days), AND
* Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) between 130 and 180 mmHg:

  * 130 -180 and use of up to one antihypertensive drug;
  * 130-170 and use of up to two drugs;
  * 130-160 and use of up to three drugs;
  * 130-150 and use of up to four drugs. AND

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe disability after the event that qualified the patient for the study, defined as a modified Rankin (mRankin) scale equal to or greater than 4.
* Being part of another clinical trial involving interventions for cardiovascular prevention.
* Body mass index \> 45 kg/m2.
* Pregnancy or Breastfeeding.
* Secondary hypertension.
* Class IV Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Resting Angina.
* Acute coronary syndrome in the last six months
* Severe renal dysfunction with GFR \< 20 mL/min/1.73m2 calculated by the CKD-EPI equation
* Refusal to consent.
* Symptomatic heart failure - Class IV New York Heart Association (NYHA) or ejection fraction \<35% on Doppler echocardiography.
* Conditions that, at the investigators' discretion, limit the patient's participation in the study, including but not limited to the following:

  * Recent history of alcohol and illicit drug abuse.
  * Psychiatric comorbidities (severe depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, etc.).
  * History of poor drug adherence and no attendance at consultations.
  * Planning to change of address in the next four years.
  * Planning to be absent from home city for more than three months in the next year.
  * Residing in the same residence of another patient previously included in this study.
C: INCLUSION:

Small subcortical ischemic stroke or subcortical TIA.

Inclusion criteria are based on TOAST criteria supplemented by required MRI data. All of the following criteria must be met:

* One of the lacunar stroke clinical syndromes (adapted from Fisher) lasting \> 24 hrs within the past 6 months
* Absence of signs or symptoms of cortical dysfunction such as aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, agraphia, homonymous visual field defect, etc.
* No ipsilateral cervical carotid stenosis (≥50%) by a reliable imaging modality done in an approved laboratory since the qualifying small subcortical stroke (S3), if hemispheric.
* No major-risk cardioembolic sources requiring anticoagulation or other specific therapy. Minor-risk cardioembolic sources will be permitted if anticoagulation is not prescribed by the patient's primary care physician.
* Subcortical TIA with corresponding lesion on DWI.
* MRI evidence of S3: a. Presence of an S3 (1.5 and 2 cm in diameter corresponding to the qualifying event on DWI; when TIA, ADC image must confirm lesion or T2/FLAIR (hyperintense lesions) (required for all brainstem events) OR multiple S3s on FLAIR/TI(\<1.5 cm in diameter) (hypointense lesions) b. Absence of cortical stroke and large subcortical stroke (recent or remote).

EXCLUSION:

To be eligible for entry into the study, the patient must not meet any of the criteria listed below:

* Disabling stroke (Modified Rankin Scale less than or equal to 4)
* Previous intracranial hemorrhage (excluding traumatic) or hemorrhagic stroke
* Age under 30 years
* High risk of bleeding (e.g. recurrent GI or GU bleeding, active peptic ulcer disease, etc)
* Anticipated requirement for long-term use of anticoagulants (e.g. recurrent DVT) or other antiplatelets
* Prior cortical stroke (diagnosed either clinically or by neuroimaging), or prior cortical or retinal TIA
* Prior ipsilateral carotid endarterectomy
* Impaired renal function: GFR \<40
* Intolerance or contraindications to aspirin or clopidogrel (including thrombocytopenia, prolonged INR)
* A score \< 24 (adjusted for age and education) on the Folstein Mini Mental Status Examination
* Medical contraindication to MRI
* Pregnancy or women of child-bearing potential who are not following an effective method of contraception
* Geographic or social factors making study participation impractical
* Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent
* Unlikely to be compliant with therapy/unwilling to return for frequent clinic visits
* Patients concurrently participating in another study with an investigational drug or device
* Other likely specific cause of stroke (e.g. dissection, vasculitis, prothrombotic diathesis, drug abuse)
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* 75 years of age or older
* Seated clinic systolic BP \>150 mmHg in the untreated state (see criterion D)
* At risk for cerebrovascular disease (history of smoking, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, longstanding hypertension, family history). Patients must have visible (0.5% WMH or more)white-matter hypertensity lesions on screening magnetic resonance imaging
* To achieve success in maintaining a 24-hour systolic BP of \<140-145 mmHg in the standard treatment group or a systolic BP \<125-130 mmHg in the intensive treatment group, patients will be eligible for inclusion if (1) their clinic systolic BP is 150-170 mmHg, and they are taking 0 to 2 antihypertensives, (2) their systolic BP is \>170 mmHg and they are taking 0 to 1 antihypertensives

Exclusion Criteria:

* Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HBA1c \>10%)
* History of stroke, dementia or clinically impaired gait (Mini-mental status exam score (MMSE) \<24, Short Physical Performance Battery for gait (SPPB) \< 9,)
* Body Mass Index \> 45 kg/m2 and/or arm circumference \> 44 cm)
* Poor kidney function (defined as estimated GFR \<30 ml/minute)
* Active liver disease or serum transaminases \>3 times the upper limit of normal
* Major cardiovascular event (e.g. myocardial infarction) or procedure (e.g. cardiac bypass surgery) in past 3 months; stroke with residual gait abnormality
* Uncompensated congestive heart failure (NYHA class III or IV or documented ejection fraction \<30%)
* Chronic atrial fibrillation that disallows ambulatory BP monitoring to be successfully performed
* Medical conditions that limit survival to \< 3 years
* Non-dermatologic cancer diagnosed within 2 years
* Organ transplantation requiring anti-rejection drug therapy
* Severe and unexplained weight loss (\>15%) in past 6 months
* Medical need to undergo recurrent phlebotomy or blood transfusions
* Current participation in another investigational trial
* Unable to obtain informed consent
* Factors limiting adherence to the interventions
* MRI contraindications (including MRI-incompatible implants, severe claustrophobia).

Answer: C