Figure 1:  .

Absolute versus relative risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Data from MacMahon et al² and Collins et al³ are used to illustrate how myocardial infarction (MI) appears a more common complication of hypertension than stroke (cerebrovascular accident, CVA), because its incidence starts higher in the normal part of the blood pressure distribution. However, stroke has a higher relative risk (plotted as 40% v 25% for each 10 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure), and overtakes myocardial infarction as an absolute risk in severe hypertension.