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The results of our analysis of the molecular epidemology of type 1 diabetes
were obtained by the relative risk estimates from the case-control analysis
to the established incidence rate for type 1 diabetes for Allegheny Country, PA.
Therefor,
by linking descriptive and analytical molecular epidemiology studies, we
can: 1) estimate individuals’
relative
risk of disease (i.e., magnitude of the increase in risk associated
with the presence of a specific molecular marker), and also 2) determine
their absolute risk of disease (i.e., probability of developing the
disease) if the molecular markers under evaluation are present.
Information regarding absolute risk of disease is essential for the
development of medical and public health strategies for disease
prevention. However, these estimates require knowledge of the general
epidemiology of the disease in the population under investigation,
particularly incidence/prevalence
rates.
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