Figure 1. Markov state-transition model.

All modeled patients started at 63 years old with an acute ischemic stroke receiving either intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) or no tPA treatment within 4.5 hours after the onset of stroke, and transition between health states was tracked until death or the 30-year time horizon is reached. Patients remaining alive after recurrent stroke may transit to category of equal or greater disability. Only transition from minor or moderate disability category was illustrated in the figure. M = Markov node; sICH =  symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.