The proposed study is relevant to public health because narrowing of brain arteries is one of the most common causes of stroke worldwide. Compelling evidence suggests novel antithrombotic medications could reduce the rate of stroke in patients with narrowed brain arteries. The proposed study will directly compare novel antithrombotic medications to standard care antiplatelet medications for preventing stroke and death from vascular causes in patients with narrowed brain arteries.
The primary goal of the trial is to determine if the experimental arms (rivaroxaban or ticagrelor or both) are superior to the clopidogrel arm for lowering the 1-year rate of ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or vascular death.