Figure 1

Diagram of the Markov model for each treatment option (usual care; and hypertension programme). Basal cardiovascular risk status for patients could be intermediate risk (hypertension and age as only risk factors) or high risk (previous cardiovascular events and/or diabetes mellitus and/or other cardiovascular risk factors that gave a high risk prediction according to Framingham's algorithms). Both groups could follow the same alternatives. Patients started each 1-year cycle at the left hand, according to their basal cardiovascular risk. They could have an acute cardiovascular event or not or die from causes other than cardiovascular ones. Survival probabilities for an acute cardiovascular event depended on whether the patient received acute hospital care or not. Red triangles at the right hand show the starting point for the next one-year cycle: "Intermediate risk" continues in the intermediate risk group, "High risk" in the high risk group. Patients that died remained in that state until the end of the model run.