Valsartan Efficacy on Modest Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Ischemic Stroke (VENTURE)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age over 18 years
• Patients admitted within 24 hours and can be enrolled within 48 hours after qualifying ischemic stroke onset
• Patients with systolic blood pressure above 150 mm Hg and no more than 185 mm Hg at least twice of 3 or more times at 5 minutes intervals after resting
• Baseline NIHSS score at least 2 points, not more than 21 points
• Full functional independence prior to the present stroke indicated by an estimated premorbid mRS score of 0 or 1
• Informed consent from the patients or authorized representatives must be obtained in writing enrollment into the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who received thrombolytic therapy (intravenous or intraarterial)
• Patients with acute Intracerebral hemorrhage diagnosed by neuroimaging
• Patients with moderate or severe cardiac failure (New York Heart Association class III and IV)
• Patients with medical condition which need urgent or special antihypertentive therapy, such as hypertensive encephalopathy, aortic dissection, acute renal failure, acute pulmonary edema, or acute myocardial infarction
• Comatose at screening
• Known or suspected cerebral aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation
• Any other clinical relevant serious disease, including uncontrolled Diabetes, severe liver disease, or severe renal disease at the time of randomization
• Life expectancy of less than 3 months due to comorbid conditions, such as malignancy
• Participation in another drug trials or planned use of vascular interventions within the previous 30 days
• Women who are pregnant, breast feeding, or of child bearing potentials
• Contraindication to ARBs, such as history of angioedema to ARBs, renovascular hypertension