| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Afshari 2015 | Not an RCT |
| Amarenco 2014 | Participants randomised within 14 days of stroke onset |
| Asberg 2018 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Bergmann 1996 | Not all participants had AIS |
| Bradshaw 1975 | Non‐random: allocation by odd/even year of birth |
| Camerlingo 2005 | Confounded by the use of low‐dose unfractionated heparin in control group |
| Carter 1961 | Non‐random: alternate allocation |
| Chang 2002 | No published data available |
| Chen 2019 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| ChiCTR‐OIN‐17013510 | Not an RCT |
| COU 9116 | Participants randomised within 14 days of stroke onset |
| Coutinho 2015 | No anticoagulant |
| Crepin‐leblond 1994 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Czechanowski 1981 | Confounded with dihydroergotamine |
| Dahan 1986 | Not all participants were stroke patients: individual patient data for stroke patients not available |
| Dan 2001 | Methods of randomisation unclear; no clinically relevant outcomes reported |
| DATAS II 2020 | Comparison of anticoagulant and antiplatelet |
| Dehen 1994 | Control group received low‐molecular‐weight heparin plus placebo |
| Diener 2005 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Dong 2003 | No published data available |
| Donnan 1996 | No anticoagulant |
| Dumas 1994 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Egan 1999 | Not an RCT |
| Egberts 1996 | No published data available |
| ELAN 2017 | Does not compare effects of anticoagulants |
| EMT 1992 | Not an RCT |
| Enger 1965 | Time from stroke to treatment unclear |
| England 2010 | Not an RCT |
| Eriksson 1983 | Non‐random: allocation by month of admission |
| Fang 2015 | Study not conducted |
| Fassbender 1998 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Field 2017 | No published data available |
| Fradley 2014 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Geisler 2017 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| Gelmers 1980 | Non‐random: alternate allocation |
| Grond 2000 | Not an RCT |
| HAEST 2000 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| Hillbom 1999 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Hillbom 2002 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Hossman 1986 | No published data available |
| Hui 2016 | No published data available |
| IRCT2014020213698N1 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| IRCT201407213106N18 | No anticoagulant |
| ISRCTN25644448 | Participant randomisation within 14 days of stroke onset |
| Ji 2017 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Jin 2017 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| JPRN‐UMIN000014405 | Did not explore the effect of anticoagulant |
| JPRN‐UMIN000025392 | Randomisation over 14 days |
| Kamel 2018 | Participants randomised within 14 days of stroke onset |
| Kang 2010 | No clinical outcome data provided |
| Kario 1995 | No clinically relevant outcomes reported |
| Kataoka 2000 | Not an RCT |
| Kim 2003 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Kobayashi 1997 | No clinically relevant outcomes reported |
| Lee 1994 | Confounded with urokinase |
| Lee 2008 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Lee 2014 | Did not involve anticoagulant as an intervention |
| Liu 2015 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| Lu 2001 | No published data available |
| Luo 2013 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| McCarthy 1993 | Data not available despite repeated contact with study authors |
| McDevitt 1959 | Time from stroke to treatment unclear |
| Melero 2007 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Meredit 2009 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Moulin 1994 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Muck 1997 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| NAVIGATE ESUS 2014 | Randomised between 7 days and 6 months after stroke onset |
| NCT01924325 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| NCT02221102 | Study not conducted |
| NCT02283294 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| NCT03961334 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| OPTIMAS 2018 | Does not compare effect of anticoagulant but time of commencing anticoagulant |
| PREVAIL 2004 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| RAPID 2005 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| RESPECT CVT 2018 | Randomisation 5 to 15 days after initial acute treatment |
| RE‐SPECT ESUS 2019 | Recruitment within 6 months of embolic stroke onset |
| Rha 2001 | No published data available |
| Rose 2019 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Rosin 1994 | Data not available despite repeated contact with study authors |
| Shi 2004 | No clinically relevant outcomes reported |
| SOCRATES 2016 | Anticoagulant not an intervention |
| Stiekema 1988 | No control group: dose‐finding trial |
| TAIST 2001 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| Tan 1998 | Not randomised; no clinically relevant outcomes reported |
| Thygesen 1964 | Non‐random allocation |
| Tomek 2011 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Toni 2000 | Not an RCT |
| Trencev 2008 | No published data available |
| Triple AXEL 2015 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Tsuchiya 1989 | Confounded with urokinase |
| Tsuchiya 1990 | Confounded with urokinase |
| Turpie 1991 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Turpie 1992 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| VA Study 1961 | Treatment started acutely in only 50%; unable to get individual patient data for just these participants |
| Warach 2003 | No published data available |
| Wellington 2002 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Wong 2000 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Yamaguchi 2004 | Comparison of 2 anticoagulant regimens |
| Yang 2016 | Anticoagulant not an intervention |
| Yi 2015 | Anticoagulant vs antiplatelet regimen |
| Zhang 2005 | Not clearly randomised |
| Zhu 2014 | No published data available |
| Zuo 2017 | Anticoagulant not an intervention |
AIS: acute ischaemic stroke
RCT: randomised controlled trial